The Smallest Changes Can Bring The Biggest Change
by wit4hire
Summary: Imagine if Edward Cullen never returned, if Bella's fascination with the Cullens had to be placed on another of the Cullen children. This is that story or at least one of the possibilities. Will eventually include femslash. Rated M for language and eventual romance.
1. Chapter 1

I am not accustomed to abrupt change, not when I do not know it is coming. No one could have foreseen what did happen, not even my sister with all her clairvoyance. And it was caused by such a fragile and simple being, one who should have no power to change anyone's lives, let alone that of my family or me. And yet, this one being stepped into our world, a world she should never have known and everything we knew, everything that had a speck of normality was lost. That is not to say that this new life I lead is not more exciting and fun, with its occasional challenges, but peace shall never reenter our lives with the path we are now on.

It all started when a transfer student arrived at the school of our latest family charade spot. The high school in Forks, a town almost always under cloud cover and perfect for us, is where we first have our lives intertwined. The day felt like any other – boring. Going to school was a cover and it has been getting old mighty fast. To endlessly have to enroll in a high school and act like the normal teenager; it is tedium, done over and over to keep our family safe. But here in Forks, our life, my life would change, on that one day that started like any other.

As always, my family and I moved like a pack, entering the school under the watch of at least half its population, including this transfer student, who seemed to have the place in an uproar of whispered curiosity. At first it seemed nice to have most of the discussion not circling around us, but that lasted only as long as it took Edward to try to dig up some of her thoughts.

We had just seated ourselves at our secluded table, Edward on one end, Emmett and I together, and Alice and Jasper together on the other end. We could all here this girl's name being passed around and we waited for Edward to give us the juicy details on who she was. It was not every day we get fresh blood to taste, metaphorically, of course. Emmett and Edward were making bets on certain details of her life before Edward actually tried to penetrate her mind. It was all amusing, but when his brows furrowed and his gaze actually turned to scan the room for her, we were enveloped in anxious silence.

Alice, being the bubbly, curious type, spoke first, her chime of a voice showing the hints of apprehension we were all feeling. "What are her thoughts like?" In response, Edward spoke the five words I never thought I would hear. "I cannot hear her thoughts." Alice and Jasper exchanged wary looks, as did Emmett and I, but we all ended up looking at Edward, waiting for words that would make it known that it was all a joke or a mistake. The words never came, but instead, Alice gasped and I heard her body stiffen even before I turned to look at her. No one spoke as we grew restless with anticipation.

When Alice allowed her eyes to refocus on the world before her, all of our now darkened amber eyes were trained on her. But her and Edward decided to silently converse, leaving the rest of us in the dark. It was almost a full minute before Edward practically leaped out of his chair, hissing. "No, it will not happen. I will not allow it!" He words were sharp, but there was latent fear. Things were getting interesting, but I was sick of being clueless. "Alice," I hissed, not able to help myself, "what did you see?"

Alice flashed me an apologetic look which I knew meant Edward had threatened her to keep quiet with something. A growl rose in my throat, but it was not meant to be aimed at her. "Edward. What is going on?" His beautiful face was sullied by the scowl he wore. He did not speak and instead abruptly stalked out of the cafeteria and all the way to his car, which I could clearly hear start. "He needs some time to himself," Alice mumbled, her generally cheerful tone heavy with sorrow. Little did we know then, but "time to himself" meant he had run off, possible as far as Alaska. And in just a few moments, this transfer student, this Bella Swann, had changed my life forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Moving in with Charlie was not as hard as I thought. My expectations were that I would be drowned in sorrow over leaving Renee and my friends and my life, but falling into life in Folks was rather… simple. For one thing, Charlie opted for the "I am going to stay out of your way" approach, which was quite appreciated. For another, lucky breaks seemed to just pile on, including getting a truck of my own. It was like when you go on vacation and within a day or two, you know your way around the house and it begins to feel normal. But then, the instant you step outside, you are lost, have no clue what you are doing in such a place. Well, as far as I was concerned, I was on a very long vacation to Charlie's house.

The first reason for me to "step outside" was school. I still needed to attend school, but living in Folks means going to the high school in Forks. Integration into a new teenage drama-filled society was not high on my list of things to do, but a necessity. So I resigned myself to the idea, knowing that a poor attitude would only make the experience worse. I could blend in, right? Wrong. Contrary to my expectations, the moment I set foot in the building I had people talking to me.

Quickly I was practically assaulted by this guy named Mike, a nice enough person, but clearly not the best at interoperating body language. Then there was Jessica, a girl whom I imagined walked straight out of Gossip Girl (that show is about gossip, right?). She seemed like the type who only wanted to get close to me for the attention it would bring her and the new story she could hear; my story, which I was not keen about telling. Eric and Angela joined in and instantaneously I was part of this group of friends, each member interrogating me. I could feel the stares and hear the whispered, making me wonder if a new kid at school was really that big of a deal.

Just as abruptly as I was thrown into this group, where I was required to feed them answers to their many questions, another group caught my attention, drawing out my own inquiries. They were beautiful, stunning, radiant, mysterious and… perfect. They really were the image of perfection. My gaze followed them and I felt drawn to them like they were magnets and I were a ferromagnetic material in close proximity.

Jessica was the first to notice my distraction, her chuckle unique enough to have already been registered in my mind as her. "That would be the Cullens," she informed me. "They are all adopted by Dr. Cullen and his wife. They are all like supermodels or something. But don't get your hopes up about getting with any of them – they are all paired up, except Edward, but he does not seem to ever like anyone." There was a hint of woe in her tone, as if she had tried to get with this Edward character and had been rejected. But, then she was back to her chipper, gossiping self, pointing out who each of the Cullens was.

"So, Edward is the one on the right, by himself," she pointed out a copper haired male, thinner than the other guys, but still fit and very beautiful. "Next to him is Rosalie who is with Emmett." Rosalie was like a goddess in human flesh, her blonde hair falling perfectly over her shoulders, her expression cold. Emmett could only be described as a bear. He is huge, heavily muscled, but in a refined, firm way rather than a disgusting way. "And then there is Alice ad Jasper, the final couple." Alice was a pixie-like creature, small and a little on the wild side, by the looks of it. Her hair was cropped short and managed to be a perfect mess on top of her head, not in any way contradicting itself. With her was Jasper, who was somewhere between Edward and Emmett in terms of size, but whose hair was blonde like Rosalie's. My mental questions were answered by Jessica's next comment. "Jasper and Rosalie are actual siblings, adopted together. I think their name used to be Hale."

I watched their table as Emmett and Edward discussed something, all of the table's focus on Edward. With them all staring at him, my actions were infected, enticed to follow suit. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Edward's feature became strained, like he was concentrating too hard on something. And then our eyes met. He looked straight at me as I stared, forcing me to look away. I could not read his expression. Maybe he was in pain, maybe he was afraid or maybe he was angry. But that did not seem possibly when looking at him and his family.

Jessica let out a small gasp and I followed her gaze back towards the Cullens. Edward was no longer seated as he spoke to Alice words too soft to hear. And then he was marching out of the school. Confused, I continued staring, but was caught again when both of the Cullen girls looked at me, Alice with intrigue and Rosalie with hatred.

The bell ran and, for the first time, I was eager to go to class. I hurriedly gathered my things and hastened my way to class. I was surprised to find that I had a class with Edward, biology, but that he decided not to show. It appeared that I was supposed to have sat next to him. The Cullens had most of my attention that day. They consumed my mind. There were so many questions and so much awe. And the wonder lasted for days, ignited further by the fact that Edward never came to school again. Who _are_ the Cullens?


	3. Chapter 3

A week had passed since Edward had run away and still Alice said nothing. I was becoming rather fed up and the only person I could see to blame was the transfer student, Bella Swan. I stood rigidly in the kitchen, unmoving, like only one of my kind could. My mouth had filled with venom at my rage. "Alice!" I called, not being able to bare it any longer. She zipped down from her room to my side.

"Really, Rosalie, destroying the house is no way to go about things." I shrugged, knowing that had she not come down to talk to me, that is probably where my temper would have led. "Fine," she muttered in response to what I had been about to say. "Edward thought that if he were to stay, the vision I had would come true." And then before I could open my mouth to inquire as to the contents of her vision, Alice was already continuing. "I saw him biting her. I don't know if he was changing her or draining her, but neither is a good option."

I imagined that my expression was somewhere between being disgust and astonishment. "What?" I hissed. Alice rolled her eyes. "Just what I said. What part of it-" She rolled her eyes again. I was annoying to have her know my reaction without knowing it myself. "Edward is being paranoid, in my opinion, and he is not coming back, as far as I can tell. And don't growl, please. It is not like it is my fault." I gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know, sis. It is just so hard to not shoot the messenger." I pulled her into an embrace, partially to apologize without saying the words and partially to calm myself. She patted me on the back and I could feel some of the tension recede from her body.

I shooed her away, playfully, but as soon as she was gone, I was standing by the window, looking out at the grey sky. The sun was just coming up behind the clouds and I knew school would start soon. I sighed inwardly and zipped upstairs to design my day's outfit.

Emmett was waiting in my room, watching me intently as I mixed and matched clothes, searching for the perfect combination. Even with him there, my movements were becoming more unconstrained and aggressive as my temper flared up again. "Rose," Emmett soothed gently, taking me into his arms. I buried my head in his chest, welcoming his strong arms holding me together. We stood there together for almost ten minutes before I finally spoke. "He isn't coming back, Em." I hated talking to Emmett about Edward, knowing that at one point I had wanted to be the one he fell for. It sometimes felt like talking about an ex, rather than the brother of us both.

"Ed is his own man. He will be back, don't you worry." Emmett's words were simple and there was not a hint of a joke, so he was being serious, and they comforted me. I felt some of my stress evaporate. But then he had to go and make a move to kiss me and I almost socked him one. "Emmett! You know full well not to take advantage of me when I am emotional!" There was a big toothy grin on his face. "But Rose, you look so damn cute!"

That put me over the edge. I pounced, knocking him onto the bed that helped decorate my room. "Ooh, the kitty's got some claws!" He was on his back, grinning up at me while I straddled him. I rolled my eyes. "I can't do this today. I have not hunted in a few days. And you know how it makes me extra thirsty." He heaved a big sigh, his chest pushing me a few inches up into the air. "Maybe after school," I said, trying to appease him. He pouted, but I knew he would not push it.

"Come on," I beckoned, pulling him off the bed and downstairs. Everyone else was looking at us expectantly. Jasper broke his usual silence to comment. "So you guys decided to leave things intact today?" I rolled my eyes, but Alice beat me to the next input. "I would be less concerned about the house," she sang, giggling. "You made a good choice." I shook my head in exasperation. "If I am thinking of the correct outcome of our avoided activities, I have no idea why you are so cheery about it." She shrugged. "I would not have let you go near humans were you to, but I am just surprised you restrained yourself." _Only_ Alice could see the bright side of practically everything.

We could have all fit in one car today, but I insisted upon taking my own car, giving the excuse of possibly needing it should I decide to leave school. Emmett rode with me, of course, but we did not speak. He knew when to give me space. I managed to make it through all of my classes without any trouble until the last class of the day. Gym. The class was comprised of mixed age groups, but the teacher split us into boys and girls that day. I was stuck on a team with the annoying gossip queen, Jessica, for badminton, which was the sport of the day.

So, being agitated because of my partner situation, it only got worse when our team got chosen to play Bella and some girl named Angela's, apparent friend of the other two. As I watched the girl swing pathetically, with absolutely no accuracy or coordination, I could not figure out why this girl would ever become connected to Edward. She was the driving force behind him leaving and the more I watched her, the less I held my swing back and the less I purposely missed the birdie. Finally, I made the mistake of hitting it a little too hard and causing it to strike Bella in the face.

The howl of pain was enough to shake me from my daze. I hung my head in defeat and trotted over to her where she lay on the court floor, hand plastered on her forehead. "Hey, my bad. I-" As I took breath to continue what I was saying, I managed to really catch her scent. I could feel venom collect in my mouth and the incessant burn in my throat amplified to the point where I had to stop breathing entirely, which I was capable of. I stood, mouth open few a good few seconds, my body at war with itself. My natural instinct screamed to drain this human of blood while my morals fought to keep me in place. Was this what Alice saw happening to Edward?

After battling long enough while not breathing, the urge began to ebb and I prepared myself to continue. Taking a quick breath, I furrowed my brows and moved the muscles in my neck so that it would appear that I was swallowing. "Sorry, um, are you alright?" I inquired, holding a hand down to her. She opened one of her tightly shut eyes to look up at me.

"Uh, yeah. Wow, nice shot there." Her breath washed over me as she spoke and I told myself to think of something other than killing her. The only thing that came to mind was Emmett goofing off one day and stating "Fish are friends, not food!" It worked, almost making me laugh. "Thanks." I forced a smile as she took my hand. I pulled her up hastily and took my significantly colder hand out of her reach. She did comment on it, to which I responded with "I have___Raynaud's disease, back off." I was admittedly very on edge._

___The teacher _jogged over to our area of the court, eying us warily. "Bella, are you alright?" Bella nodded, but the teacher did not seem to buy it. "Rosalie, take her to the locker room and both of you change and go home. School is almost over anyway. Tell people you are going to the nurse's office." Bella looked relieved, but I could not help but scowl at my luck. I was going to the locker room, alone with this delectable human, where no one would ever know what happened. I would not have the spectators adding to my reasons for restraint.


	4. Chapter 4

My head felt like it were splitting in half. How in the world could Rosalie hit the birdie so damn hard? And how had she managed to hit me square on the forehead? It baffled me, but I could barely think about it as I lay on the gym floor. I think it was the first time I had heard her speak, there while I lay on the floor, clutching my likely to bruise forehead. Her voice was beautiful, stunning, more than I had even expected from her, even though I had expected a lot.

"_Hey, um, are you alright?_" Even with the speech disfluency, she made the simple sentence sound regal and fitting for one of her kind, which sure as hell could not be human. _She has to be some kind of demi-goddess_, I joked in my thoughts. I peeked through one eye to see her standing over me, her had extended. I struggled to take her hand and make it look as if I were not having a seizure due to pain. "Uh, yeah. Wow, nice shot there."

With no help from me, she lifted me up, giving me barely enough time to register how frigid her hand was. "You have really cold-" She cut me off, practically hissing the about having Raynaud's Disease. Thankfully, the teacher came over and told us we could leave. That made my day, a little, but then I felt a tight grip on the wrist of the hand that was not holding my forehead still and I was tugged towards the locker room. It really felt as if there was no way I could resist and I wonder to myself where in heck's name Rosalie hid all her muscle, because she clearly had lots of strength, but looked like she would never participate in anything that could get her sweaty or dirty. I just had to learn her secret.

When we entered the locker room, she released me and distanced herself for me rather quickly. I watched her for a moment, but then went to my locker, retrieving my everyday clothes, changing as quickly as I could. Just as I was starting to straighten out my clothes, I felt like I was being watched, like someone was boring daggers into my back. Shakily, I turned to see Rosalie had already changed, managed to pull off the look of perfection, and was now staring at me with pure hatred.

The thing that I caught in the second that our eyes met across the room was how dark her eyes seemed. It was like they had gone black. But the next thing I knew, her hand was around my throat and I was pinned against my locker. "It is all your fault," was what she said. My eyes slammed shut in fear and I found myself sputtering "pl-please don't hurt m-me. Please, I-" My words were cut off as her hand tightened and I found myself unable to breath.

A bell-like sound rang through the room, registering as Rosalie's name. "Rosalie, let go of her." I opened one eye to find the other Cullen girl, Alice, with her hand on Rosalie's wrist. "Rose, don't do this. It is not her fault. Let her go." I was so relieved to feel her hand loosen and I gasped for breath when it was fully removed. I looked up into Rosalie's eyes, confirming what I had seen from across the room. They were pitch black, rage and hatred stirring within them. And they were staring straight into me.

I blinked, and when my eyes were open, they were gone, nowhere to be seen. I collapsed to the locker room floor, stunned beyond belief. What had just happened? What _were_ they? I don't know how long I sat there, but I knew I needed to leave before the class ended and people began entering the room.

I lifted myself up, shakily, and hurried from the room, outside and to my truck. I sped, as much as my truck could speed, out of the parking lot, wishing to be home, where I could wrap myself up in the safety of my covers. All the while, my mind raced, trying desperately to come up with an explanation for what had happened. I came to a dead end every time. There was no humanly possible rationalization. There was no way they were _human_.


	5. Chapter 5

The horror of the rage that had passed through me was stifling. I could not control myself. I had watched the human girl and all that she was as she moved. She was so fragile, so weak, so why then did she have such an impact on my family? It was so angering and I moved without thought, easily pinning her against her locker. I had felt her pulse beneath my fingers and heard her feeble pleas. My hand had tightened, reflexively with my wrath. Her scent was intoxicating and had Alice not shown up, I know I would have had my second helping of human blood.

Alice. Thank god she was there. We both knew what would have happened, were she not. She had towed me to my car and forced me into the passenger's seat. As we sped away, I heard her calm voice mutter four words that brought me fully to my senses. "We are going hunting." Indignant as I was with myself, I glared out the window, watching the trees go by at a speed similar to when I jog.

Alice pulled up in our driveway and was instantly opening the door for me. "Out." I glared at her as I got out. "I know I was at fault, so quit treating me like I am a criminal." She only huffed, her eyes never leaving me. "Whatever, let's go." I took off, running full tilt through the woods surrounding my house. I let my feet lead me to our usual hunting region. Alice was on my tail the whole way, never out of eye shot. I understood her reasoning, but it still irritated me.

I caught scent of a mountain lion and my instincts took over, erasing all other thought from my mind. I was on the hunt and there was not room for anything else. I followed the scent, taking the lion by surprise. It glanced up a moment too late as I swooped in and broke its neck, rendering it completely immobile. Biting into its flesh, I felt the sticky, warm blood fill my mouth. I ignored the part of my mind that told me it was not as good as human blood and savored the taste as best I could. Sure, I felt bad for the poor beast, but it was better than killing a human.

It would seem Alice had left me alone to feed, but she rejoined me when I stood, dropping the lion. "Feeling better?" she probed. I nodded, finally feeling true control return to my body. That was when the horror hit me. What had I done? I had put my family in risk. There was no way Bella could not realize that we were inhuman. She was a danger to our family and needed to be silenced. I turned a panicked eye to Alice, who was grinning. I blinked, wondering if I were seeing wrong, but no, there she stood, a broad smile on her face.

As always, before I could ask, she answered my question. "She won't tell. In fact, she will be a friend, maybe more." She skipped over to me, throwing her arm over my shoulder and whispering in my ear, "but when she comes to ask me questions, I am going to send her to you. You need to be the one to tell her." I scowled down at her, but I knew she would not back down. And I knew she was right, but I did not want to admit it. "You can't be serious." She shrugged and led the way back to Forks.


	6. Chapter 6

When I got home, I did not end up crawling into my bed quite as soon as I had expected. I spent the rest of the day surfing the web, looking for any hint as to an explanation. As the shock withdrew, I became numb to all emotion, making room for curiosity. I had a yearning that needed to be satisfied for me to feel sane and complete once again. I came upon many terms, many creatures, but of them, one stood out the most, fitting the most characteristics I had noted in the Cullens.

Vampires.

It was a fictional idea, but it so neatly fit in to what I had seen, explaining everything, without really explaining. Denial set in and I found my way to my bed, where I curled up, pulling the covers in close. _There is no way they could be-_ I could not even think the word. And yet, it fit best. But there was no way everyone would have not noticed them around. It just was not possible.

Slowly, my mind began to wrap around the idea, accept it as truth. They, the Cullens, were not human. They were possibly vampires and I was going to figure it out. I made a vow to myself before falling into a haunting dream.

_I was running, just running, unsure of where I was going. It did not matter, really. I just needed to escape. I was in the school, running through the empty halls, trying to make it to my truck, my one chance of making a getaway. The door was only feet away, but I was stopped short as a figure appeared before me, her black eyes locked on me as I ran headlong into her. Her cold fingers wrapped around my neck, lifting me closer to her face. I could not breath, could not utter a word. Her mouth opened, a pair of fangs glinting, showing me the severity of my situation. "It is all your fault."_

I jolted awake, sweat soaking through the jeans and t-shirt I had fallen asleep in. I glanced at the alarm-clock that was beside my bed. 3:51. Apparently Charlie had not woken me for dinner. I crawled out of bed, quickly finding new clothes, before crawling back in. Sleep did not come as easily as before. I lay there, becoming restless, thinking about how my day would play out. Finally, although I do not recall it happening, I fell into a dreamless slumber, only to be awoken by my alarm.

As my eyes fluttered open, my thoughts were groggy and confused, but as soon as the Cullens crossed my mind, I was completely awake like I had been given an adrenaline shot. I shot up, throwing my covers off. I don't think I have ever managed to get ready so fast – ever. I felt a mix of emotions flowing through me and I could not determine which one was the most dominant. I narrowed it down to fear, excitement or impatience.

Time seemed to move slowly, and yet, before I knew it, it was time to head to school. The drive seemed to be short and I felt I did not have enough time as I tried to make an action plan. I did not really want to approach Rosalie, but it appeared that Alice was a safe choice. But then, I had no classes with her. I had to catch her alone somewhere and I expected that to be a challenge.

I heaved a calming breath and clumsily got out of my truck. There was a little patch of ice by the door of my truck and I slipped, my hand reaching out to grab whatever it could reach. What I grabbed was a hand, belonging to none other than Alice Cullen, the one I had been meaning to find. "Wow, y-you people move fast." She just smiled warmly as she helped me right myself. "I, uh, want to talk to you about yesterday."

The girl giggled, her laughter light. "Oh, I know. But I am going to have to say no to the interview." I blinked at her and found it hard to find the right words. "B-but, you have to tell me about yourself. You aren't human, are you?" She looked sidelong at me, no disturbance in her expression. "Why are you asking me this question?" I blinked again, my brows furrowing. "There is no way you are human!" I exclaimed. "I saw you-"

She cut me off, a cold finger pressing to my lips. "No, why are you asking _me_ this question?" I stared at her blankly for a moment. She had not denied anything. My concentration was split between the conversation and the fact that they really could be something other than human. "Uh, well, you are- um, you seemed like the safer choice," I mumbled. "To talk to, I mean."

She giggled again. "Solid logic. That may be true, but the understanding must be formed between you and Rose, not between you and myself."

"But, she could kill me! She att-" Again her cool finger stopped my words. She walked around behind me and I felt her hand lift my chin slightly from and then she straightened my back. "Chin up, back straight. You can do this. Be brave and don't worry. I will be watching." She gave me a light push forward and I whirled around to argue against talking to Rosalie, but she was gone.

The day moved by abnormally sluggishly. I struggled to pay attention to any of my teachers as they lectured and I was questioned many times by Jessica, Mike, Angela and Eric about what was on my mind, especially at lunch. I kept giving them answers along the lines of personal issues, but they seemed insistent on figuring things out. Eventually I had to tell them all off. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that it did not even take a toll on me when I told them all to mind their business. I am thankful for Angela, who seemed to catch the hint and convinced the other to leave me be.

I glanced at the Cullen's table, but none of them were looking at me. Rosalie and Alice were arguing, presumably about me, Emmett just looked amused, and Jasper looked like, well like he usually did – collected and slightly in pain. I gathered my things and headed to class early, not wanting to observe them any longer.

Biology was the longest class that day, being the one right before gym. It was like the length that each class had a direct connection to in proximity to gym; the closer it was, the longer it felt. The bell rang and I had not even written down a single word all class. I sat a bit longer in my seat, not moving until the people in the next class started drifting in. I gathered my stuff hurriedly and rushed to the gym, almost running over Mike and possibly ignoring his attempts to talk to me, but I am not sure.

Rosalie was not in the locker room, but I was glad for that. I almost fell six times while changing as quickly as I could and probably would have been faster if I hadn't rushed. Ironic, right? Well, I stumbled out into the gym, noting that Rosalie was leaned up against the furthest wall, not dressed in gym clothes, apparently taking her day off.

So then, even during gym class, my mind was not on the class. The effect was different. Instead of not taking notes, I managed to get nice clocked in the face by a dodgeball I had not been ready to dodge. Needless to say, I ended up on my back again. It did not hurt near as much, but had taken me quite by surprise. "Swan, really, two days in a row?" The teachers locked rather agitated, but should have already been used to this sort of thing. "Looks like you are not… fully recovered. Rosalie, you are not busy. Take her to get her head checked out." This was too easy and I was taken aback. I wanted an excuse to have put it off, but it seemed fate would not allow it.

Rosalie huffed and helped me off the floor, her movement surprisingly gentle. She kept a hand on my back until we were out of sight and then she dropped her hand, let me walk by myself. The gym and nurse's office were in different buildings, so we had to go outside, where we were completely alone.

Halfway between the buildings, I stopped. I could not yet turn to Rosalie and my body was steadily tensing. I needed to speak, I knew that, and many questions came to mind for me to start out. _What are you?, Are you human?, Why did you attack me?. _Really, anything along those lines would have worked, but instead, the question I asked was "are you going to kill me?" I marveled at the steadiness of my voice for a moment as I waited for her response.


	7. Chapter 7

Although Alice always knew best, it was so hard to believe her. She had said that everything would be fine, that it would all work itself out, but I just could not see it happening. My instincts did not agree with what she saying and ever part of my body screamed to not have anything to do with Bella. From the cafeteria, I listened to her encourage Bella to talk to me, even though Bella and I seemed to be of the same mind. We both thought this was a bad idea.

Bella had confirmed that she believed we were not human, which had caused me to stiffen in my seat. Emmett had given me a quizzical look and I just shook my head. "Alice is pushing things along way too fast." The devil mentioned walked up to the table a few moments later with a confident swagger in her step and grinned at me. "We are going at just the right pace, I would say."

I found myself missing Edward even more at that moment. When Alice chose to keep silent about her visions, he generally chose to spill the beans. I wanted to know what she saw, so I could have some idea of what I was getting myself into. Emmett chose to side with Alice. "Rose, if she says all is going to be alright, it will be. Have some fun with the human. Scare the pants off of her or something." My hand whipped out faster than any human could see and smacked his arm. "Babe, come on, I was just kidding."

I stood and marched to my first class, not wanting to deal with them anymore. All my classes passed by faster than I wanted, bringing me to my final class, gym. Alice met me outside of the class and chose to give me some advice. She recommended I sit out, take my skip day for gym. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, resigning myself to following her lead. "Whatever."

I went to the teacher, giving a quick "I don't feel good today" speech and got sent to go stand by the far wall. I could smell when Bella entered the locker room. She took exceedingly long changing and I scowled when she finally walked out.

I tried to ignore everything, but when they got to playing dodgeball, I could see how little she was paying attention and I scoffed when I saw a ball fly into her face with her not so making so much as an attempt to dodge it. It would seem Alice was on the money, since the teacher told me that I would be bringing her to the nurse.

Was I resigning to my fate? I don't know, but I think I was beginning to trust Alice's predictions, for this situation. I might as well not resist whatever it was that she foresaw. She would manage to direct the future no matter what I did, unless I took Edward's way out, and I was starting to see his reasoning, but also why he was being a little bit of a pussy. I could just hope that my future would not hold me feasting on a human, especially this Bella Swan.

So, if I just applied the least amount of energy and did things gently, maybe it would things smoother. I held my hand down to Bella once again, helping her off the floor. I had to act as if I were helping her out of the gym, which put me in close proximity to her scent. I chose not to breathe, knowing that even if I had just fed, I could still be tempted by her alluring blood.

I put distance between us when we got outside, guessing that I would need to breathe for the purpose of talking. My breath was cut off, however, by her over-the-top question. _Was I going to kill her?_ Well, now I was. Who asks such a moronic question? Restraint left me, but I was not acting due to hunger or thirst, just annoyance.

Woods bordered the walk between the gym and the nurse's office, so I grabbed her elbow and dragged her towards it, choosing to ignore her question. She may have struggled, but I don't recall noticing, not that I was really paying attention. Once far enough in for my liking, I released her and watched as her knees buckled and she sank to the forest floor. "You really are going to, aren't you?"

I sighed in defeat, rolling my eyes. "No!" She flinched away from my outburst and I squeezed the bridge on my nose. "Look, we need to form an understanding here. I was not myself when I confronted you in the locker room." She repeated the word "confronted" as if in confusion or actually more like protest. "Fine, attacked," I amended. "Either way, I have no plan of hurting you _or_ anyone else. I had a lapse in my control, is all."

She stared blankly up at me, looking to be processing the information. If I could still get headaches, I would have had a pounding one at that point. "Okay, look, let's start with what you know or think you know. What, pray tell, do you think I am?" I asked, prepared for whatever crazy idea she might have come up with. "And don't lie, mind, 'cause I will know if you do and I will not be happy."

The look on her face made me feel like she was pleading to not have to say what was on her mind, but I glared down at her until she spoke. "I- well, it is kind of crazy, I mean, I- I kn-know you are not human, but it is still-" I took a step towards her, squatting down so that our eyes were at the same level. She fell back over her feet which had been below her rear, trying to scoot away from me, her feet barely finding purchase on the leave covered ground. "Just say it," I commanded, colder than I meant.

"W-well, I th-think you are a, a _vampire_." She whispered the word, but I heard it clearly. It hit me hard, harder than I thought it would, her saying the word. I blinked, unable to determine what should happen next. "Well, Bella," I spoke deliberately, "you are correct. I am, as you have guessed, a vampire. Now tell me, what do you think of this knowledge?"

I tried to soften my expression, quite aware that this should be very frightening for her. "Well, I d-don't know. I-I guess I have questions, b-but other than that, I don't really know what else to think."

So she was the curious type. "Alright, ask away."

She blanched, like I had asked her to strip or something. Was I really that hard to talk to? "I- um, okay. Do- do you drink, you know, uh-" I cut her off by raising a hand. "No, I do not drink from humans. But that is a choice I made. I have to supplement with animal blood in order to keep down the thirst, which I do feel for human blood. My family and I consider ourselves vegetarian vampires. That is to say that there are vampires that do feed off of humans, but we are not among them."

She nodded, but her expression was blank. "Why d-did you attack me?"

"I told you, I lost control," I snapped, peeved just by thinking about it. "N-no, I mean, why- what caused you to lose control?"

God, she was too curious for her own good. "You are abnormally appetizing and chased off Edward. I was angry and needed someone to blame." I stated bluntly. "Plus you are appetizing," I reiterated, "which messes with my head to begin with."

Surprisingly, the girl did not appear scared, like I had expected. She was adjusting far faster than I was and actually looked like she wanted to know more. "Wait, so what makes me appetizing?" She asked it like she was asking what color my pajamas are. She was interested and had a kind of goofy energy to her.

I did a double take on her question, staring at her for a moment with my mouth slightly agape. "You smell really good and I can only imagine, as I catch a whiff of you, what your blood tastes like." She cocked her head to the side and made a sound like _huh_. "Aren't you scared?"

She blinked and seemed to ponder my question. "I suppose, but you said you would not hurt me, so, I guess at the same time, no." I don't know why, but her response infuriated me. I bristled, as she eyed me, and finally stood abruptly, done with our conversation.

"W-wait," Bella exclaimed, grabbing ahold of my wrist. Bad move. I snarled and tugged my arm out of her grasp. "Do not touch me, if you want to keep you hand."

She cowered away from me, finally showing that she possessed some inkling for self-preservation. "Wait, but I don't understand why you are upset."

"You just found out I am a vampire and when asked if you are scared, you say you aren't. This is not just some game. I am a monster capable of ripping your throat out and feasting on your blood!"

"Well, yeah, when you put it that way, it is scary, but you just said that you don't. So, I don't see the problem." She was on her feet now, a spark in her eye as if she were determined to convince me that I was not dangerous.

In an attempt to convince her otherwise, I leapt forward, shoving her into a tree, where I pinned each of her hands above her head. We had been in a similar position before, but this time I was in control and she clearly did not buy my charade. Her eyes were filled with wonder, with only the tiniest touch of fear. "You should be terrified right now," I informed her, but my dead heart was not entirely behind my words. It was true that I did not want her to be entirely afraid of me, but I could not see how she had so easily accepted and moved passed my being a vampire like it was decade old news.

She surprised me further when the look in her eyes changed from curious to, well, something I could not immediately name. She leaned her head forward, taking a deep slow breath. "Wow," she murmured. "You smell… really good," she breathed and I realized that her eyes held the look of arousal, which was caused by her relaxed nature while in close proximity to my natural vampric aroma, which was a tool we used for seduction.

"Shit," I cursed under my breath, taking a step back, subsequently releasing her. She took a step closer and a new smell tickled my nose. She was really aroused, having had put up no mental defenses against my scent, mainly because I had neglected to mention it to her, and it made her smell so much better than she normally did. She grabbed my shirt, burying her face in my shoulder. I stood rigid, realizing too late where this was heading. "Oh my god, is this what I smell like to you?" she inquired, her words partially muffled by my body.

"Bella," I hissed, "you need to step back." _Shit, how the hell did it come to this?_


	8. Chapter 8

I have little recollection of our conversation, mine and Rosalie's, once we had entered the woods by the school. I remember having guessed correctly, but being fine with it, like it was natural and okay. I don't know why I felt that it was alright. Maybe it was just that Rosalie had assured me that she and her family did not feed on humans. But, really, I think it was something different, more subconscious. I will never know the true reason, I feel, like my body had decided on its own, not to be afraid, and my mind just tagged along.

For whatever reason, I was beginning to accept the idea, which led me to pry further. My prying awarded me a strange piece of information. Evidently I am more appetizing than most humans. I did not really know how to feel about this – disturbed or pleased. But she, Rosalie, the most gorgeous and strikingly beautiful _vampire_, had said that I messed with her head! I, for one, took that as a big compliment, even if the reasons for me messing with her head were a tad on the dangerous side.

She asked me whether I was afraid and I responded truthfully, but she did not seem to care for it. From there things picked up pace and I am a bit fuzzy on some of the details. I remember grabbing her wrist and pleading with her to tell me what I had done wrong. Somehow I ended up pinned against a tree, my arms over my head, but she was being gentle and I could feel it. She was being really careful and it felt oddly safe, despite my position.

She spoke words that seemed to contradict everything I was feeling. "You should be terrified right now," she stated, her breath washing over me. I was taken aback by a realization. She smells absolutely amazing. How had I not noticed before? I would compare it to the smell of cool rain on a hot summer's day or a chilly breeze in early autumn, but that would not do it justice. I smelled hints of peppermint, vanilla, cream, honey and azalea, all separately and yet together. She smelled like what I imagined moonlight would smell like, had it a scent.

I became consumed by the scent, incapable of focusing on anything else. I just wanted to go on smelling it. I was not in control of my body, but so much electricity was running through me making every moment feel unimaginably good. I had fallen into a waking dream, moving with no control over my actions and no conscious acknowledgement of what I was doing. But, with every dream, one must wake up.

It is just, one does not normally wake up in a shameful situation. I don't know what snapped me back to my senses, but when my head cleared, my eyes were closed but I could feel my body pressed against a stony figure. I stood there for a good minute with my eyes closed, trying to determine what kind of predicament I had gotten myself into. My legs were pressed around a solid thigh, my arms wrapped about a granite body, my whole front pressed against the other. My face was buried in what I could only assume was this clearly female person's neck.

My brain finally decided to catch up and memories flooded back, informing me that this person I held so tightly was Rosalie. "Bella," I heard her hiss, her lips moving somewhere above my head. "Bella, you need to release me and step back. Now!" There was evident strain in her words and I knew she was struggling to not let her instincts kick in.

But, even with the knowledge that I needed to move, my body was not listening, not even hesitating in pressing further into Rosalie's. "Rose-Rosalie, w-why can't I-I m-move," I stammered, panic creeping into my mind. "I- Rosalie, I can't make my b-body move!"

I felt her hands slowly press into my shoulder and lower back, like they were partially but not fully restrained. "Bella, I can't- I am not going to be able to hold back much longer. You need to get away." We were both struggling for control of our bodies and neither of us seemed to be succeeding. Tears began to stream down my face as a snarl rose in Rosalie's chest, reverberating through my body.

An earsplitting _crack_ ripped through the air, originating from right in front of me, making me temporarily shell shocked. But, the moment I heard it, I had flown a good fifty feet through the air. All I know is things moved way too fast for my eyes or brain to keep up with, but a split second later, after a blur in my vision and the disorientation of my whole body, I was being suspended off the ground, cradled in someone's arms.

My brain was going at a human speed and took seconds to process my new surrounding as my hands finally clapped over my ears. My eyes focused in on Rosalie's face as she eyed my warily from above. "Alice!" she barked, not taking her eyes off of me. "What the fuck are you hitting me so hard for? You could have easily hurt her!" She finally looked away from me and I followed her gaze, my eyes barely able to see Alice from the distance between us. "What if I had not been able to catch her? She would never have survived hitting anything at that speed!"

"Do you really think I would have hit you if it meant she would get hurt? I know exactly what will happen due to my own actions." Alice hissed, all of a sudden standing before Rosalie, well, us. "What were you thinking?" she practically screamed, getting up in Rosalie's face, which meant they were sandwiching me it an awkward in-between. I was still bewildered and could not escape the arms that held me. "This is twice now that I have had to save her life and your ass! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Oh, don't go blaming this on me, dear sister. You were the one who thought it was an oh-so-great idea to have me talk to her!" Both seemed to have entirely forgotten about me, even though I was in Rosalie's _arms_! I know I probably weighed nothing to her, but_ come on_.

"I told you to _talk_ to her, not pay toss with pheromones!"

"If you had told me she was going to accept everything right quick and throw down her guard, I might have gone about things differently!"

"So I have to baby you through everything? Jeez, Rose, are you really that incapable?"

I had had enough at that point and finally found my voice. "H-hey, guys, I am alive, r-right, so you don't need to fight…." I squeaked. Two pairs of blackened eyes flashed downward to look upon my face.

One second passed. Two seconds. Three. Alice blinked, her eyes returning to their normal golden color, and Rosalie looked away. Alice smiled warmly. "Yes, of course. I am sorry you had to witness that." She took a step back and Rosalie finally decided to right me, placing me on my feet, her arm outstretched in case I needed support. "Are you alright?" she probed. I nodded, but found my knees a little weak.

"Thank you," I murmured, taking a few steps back so I could look at the both of them. "Wow, you guys move really fucking fast!"

I was a little not in my right mind, but my comment seemed to dim the tension that had begun to saturate the air. Alice let loose her chiming laughter and I saw the first hint of a smile I had ever glimpsed on Rosalie's face. "Trust me," Alice sang, "You ain't seen _nuthin'_ yet!" It was comical, the theatrics she put into that one phrase. And I sure as hell believed her.


	9. Chapter 9

I had walked into those woods with all of my barriers up, granted I did not know a few of the circumstance, but still, I was as protected as I could have known to be and it did… nothing. Her scent had broken through every one of my mental fortifications like they were nothing. Bella had been so close and I had been conscious, but not been in control. I watched as Bella pressed herself to me, as my body lured her in, and I was completely incapable of turning off, or even down, my natural pheromone emissions.

She moved smoothly, clearly not even in her head, because she could not normally move that gracefully if she tried, and was out of it for a good minute or two as I pleaded with her to wake up. Finally I screamed, thanking the heavens that I could at least control my voice, and her body stiffened. She was back, her body less sure of itself, but still she moved further in, her neck slowly becoming more exposed and her warmth beginning to seep into my skin.

"Bella," I repeated, not at a yell this time. "Bella, you need to release me and step back. Now!" She stuttered out a few words, affirming that we were both dealing with being conscious of our actions but not in control. I struggled, pulled back with all my might, but the hard I pulled, the tight my arms wrapped around her. My lips parted and I could feel the venom collect in my mouth. My vision was starting to cloud over as I kept losing ground to my impulses.

I did not even notice Alice approaching and the momentum of her run added significantly to the magnitude of power within her fist as it connected solidly with my jaw. The angle of the jab came from below and propelled me into the air. Of course, mine and Bella's bodies were locked together so she came along, sailing through the air. The pain was jarring, completely overpowering my urge to feed, so through it, I managed to regain control, readjusting myself in midair so that I landed on my feet and Bella landed in my arms. I had to concentrate a lot on the landing, because if I just stopped cold, like I could do, Bella would not have survived. Instead I had to act as a cushion, my body coiling and acting like a shock system, relieving as much of the force and momentum from her movement.

It had not been even a second between when Alice hit me and when I landed, with Bella, but the human took five times that to catch up and block her ears from the sound that was created when Alice hit me. The pain was already subsiding, giving way to concern. I stared at Bella, trying to determine her condition. She seemed alright, but there was no way to be sure. I turned the majority of my attention to Alice.

Admittedly, I was a little angry with her because she hit me, so I overreacted when I addressed her. "Alice. What the fuck are you hitting me so hard for? You could have easily hurt her!" We had been moving over a hundred miles an hour, easily, and Bella was human, with her fragile bones and slow reflexes. A slip from me, a chance that I did not regain control, a chance that I could not react fast enough, anything could have gone wrong. "What if I had not been able to catch her? She would never have survived hitting anything at that speed!"

"Do you really think I would have hit you if it meant she would get hurt? I know exactly what will happen due to my own actions." Alice skipped forward, getting right up in my face, where I could easily reach her and was quite tempted to return her painful gift. "What were you thinking?" _What was I thinking? What was _she_ thinking? _"This is twice now that I have had to save her life and your ass! What the hell is wrong with you?"

How could she blame it all on me? She was the one who said everything was going to be fine, that nothing could go wrong if I talked to Bella. I had only done this because of her and she wanted to blame me for this! "Oh, don't go blaming this on me, dear sister. You were the one who thought it was an oh-so-great idea to have me talk to her!"

"I told you to _talk_ to her, not pay toss with pheromones!" Again, how was I to know that this would happen? I did not know I was supposed to explain about that. I did not think it would matter. I thought she would be afraid, for heaven's sake.

"If you had told me she was going to accept everything right quick and throw down her guard, I might have gone about things differently!" I rebuked.

"So I have to baby you through everything? Jeez, Rose, are you really that incapable?" I wanted to hit her. She was being so pig headed, not taking responsibility for _her_ mistake. I had done everything correctly with what she had given me, so why could she not see it?

I had almost, if not completely forgot Bella whom I held in my arms, still unsure if she was able to stand. I would not have been surprised if she puked, but in the midst of arguing with Alice, I had forgotten about her. But she spoke up, interrupting what I was about to say, which is probably for the best.

Alice and I were both pulled back from our argument, glancing at her. _Wow, we really sandwiched her, there,_ I could not help but think. But at the same time, she was stepping between us, this human, between two vampires. She was clearly insane, but I was glad of it. I had no desire to duke it out with Alice.

I placed her upright while Alice apologized, which I would like to think was partially directed towards me. Awkwardness stretched between the three of us, but Bella seemed fit enough. "Bella, dear, why don't you come with me? I think you and Rose have had a long enough talk with each other. If you have more questions, you can ask me. Let's go to the mall!" Bella noticeably cringed at the mention of the mall, but nodded, presumably willing to do anything to get new details.

I was not going to complain. I could use some relaxation, away from humans. I needed to cool my head and figure things out. Now that I was not screaming at Alice, many perplexities managed to wriggle into my mind and catch the majority of my focus.

"Have fun," I muttered and turned to leave. A crunch of leaves and I could sense Bella approaching me, but there was hesitation in her step.

"Wait, Rosalie," she squeaked. I did not move, waiting for her to continue. "You- you are not mad at me, are you?" I did not know what she was referring to, but she clarified. "I don't know what came over me when I, you know, invaded your space. It just kind of happened." I chuckled. She blamed herself for what happened.

"No, I am not mad at you. It was not your fault." She whispered "not my fault" under her breath, a questioning tone apparent even at that soft volume. "Just ask Alice." With that I leapt away, heading for home.

The house was quiet. Carlisle was in the office and my siblings were all still at school, apart from Edward, of course. Esme greeted me at the door when I entered. "Home early? How did it go with Bella?"

I shrugged. "She is clearly irrational. She discarded fear after I told her we just feed on animals. Talking went smoothly from there, but things got messy when we got too close." Esme nodded in understanding, but had a wary look to her. "She is fine," I explained, knowing exactly what she was looking for. "Alice is dragging her to the mall."

Esme chuckled, shaking her head. "That is just like Alice; already monopolizing the human." Something in what she said seemed to stab deep into my gut, sending my stomach twisting into a knotted mess. Why was I so bothered by the fact that Alice was getting close to Bella?

"I think it is dangerous," I informed her, though I don't know if that was just a mask for the real feelings. I could not figure out what was going through my head, but that was the simplest explanation. "If we get closer to her, something could happen that puts our family at risk."

Esme frowned at me. "You have been saying that for more than half a century. You have been holding back and never taking risks. Don't you think, now that you have a chance, you should just let go?" She came in close, wrapping me into one of her motherly embraces. "You can do it." Her words warmed me, but I did not really understand why she was directing them at me. Alice was the one running off with the human. Her word implied that she wanted me to do the same.

"Esme, I don't need to befriend Bella, don't need to associate with her, even. I am content with just being with you and this family." Her frown deepened as she backed away from me, looking me squarely in the eyes.

"I see otherwise. You are lonely, we can all see it. Emmett, even, has a hard time making you smile, nowadays. We want you to be happy and you need someone new in your life. Bella is the perfect person. She is human, sure enough, but you have control over yourself. You can make it work."

"I have two instances that prove otherwise," I countered sourly. "Find me a vampire and I will befriend them, but do not ask me to get close to this human."

"Rose, you are not going to be able to avoid this. You two are a match and you will see it soon enough." A match? What kind of wording was that? My eyes narrowed as I stared into her, trying to read into her words.

"No! No way!" Match! As in pairing? No, it couldn't be! She was my mate! The one I would fall for? "Did Alice see this? Did she see us together in that way?"

Esme put her hands on my shoulders. "Rose, it is alright. We would not mind you being with her. It would be nice to make an addition to the family."

"But she is a girl!" I shrieked. "How can she be my one? Then why did Ed run away? No, this makes no sense and I won't allow it."

"Rose, feared that he would kill her, your mate. He did not want to come between the two of you. He will come back, once she is part of our family."

"By 'part of our family', you mean a vampire, don't you? I am not going to change her! I would not put anyone through that, not even if she was my one and only. This is not a life anyone should ever have to live."

Cars approached, pulling into our drive. I recognized the sounds of both and when each engine was silent, Emmett and Jasper came through the door, the room becoming eerily calm. Jasper was playing with my emotions, I knew, and I could not fight the tranquility.

"You telling her about Bella?" Emmett inquired of Esme. She just nodded. "Rose, you don't need to worry. This is for the best. You need someone special in your life. And, as much as it pains me that I was not your special one, Bella is going to make you happy. That is all I- all any of us want for you." He gave me a ridiculous smile. "But, if you want to remain friends with benefits, that is _totally_ fine with me." I slapped the back of his head with an expression of mock disgust. "It was a joke, jeez." I did wear a small smile at that point, but it vanished when my thoughts returned to Bella and what was apparently supposed to be our relationship.

I had talked to her, what, once? Twice? How could we possibly be mates? "I need to be alone," I stated and marched towards the garage. Working on the new M 159, liquid-cooled V8 Four-stroke engine was something that always calmed me and allowed my mind to wander in a harmless way. But this time I needed to just stop thinking, let my hands move and my mind stop.

How we be mates?


	10. Chapter 10

Personally, I felt that Rosalie and I were by no means finished talking. If I could have found the words, I would have tried to get her to stay, to pull the fissure that was forming between us, one I really did not want. There was a coldness I felt, as she left, causing my body to shiver. Alice moved so that she stood beside me, her arm wrapping comfortingly around my shoulders.

"Let's go do some shopping then!" Her words were cheery and bell-like and I could not help but smile, but the warmth she brought only touched the surface of my being. I was still without the ability to warm my soul. I nodded, submitting to her wishes, just wanting to get my mind on something menial and that did not require real thought. She grabbed my hand, her cold fingers weaving in, between mine. She gave a small tug and then led me out of the trees, a skip in her walk.

I have to admit, she was really amusing, her bubbly nature quite inspiring. I wondered how she could keep it up, but did not vocalize my thoughts. The way she moved, I knew it was beautiful, graceful, alluring, but I did not find myself caught up in it as I found myself when watching Rosalie. It was like there was a glass wall between us and I was just observing but not being affected. It gave me the clarity to actually analyze her movements rather than my brain shutting off and the rest of my body reacting strangely.

She led me straight to my truck, where she released my hand, which did not drop immediately but more slowly, and moved to get into the driver's seat. "What are you doing?" I questioned, my brows furrowing in a pouty manor. "Oh, dear, I have seen your driving and if we want to make it to Seattle and back, you are not driving." Seattle? "But-" I began to protest, but was quickly cut off. "You have two choices, Bella. Either, I drive, or we drop your truck off at your house and I carry you."

Okay, not exactly the best choices, but an easy decision to make. I had no desire to feel the humiliation of being carried by tiny Alice, or anyone for that matter. "Fine," I grumbled and walked around the nose of my truck, climbing into the passenger's seat. "You know what, never mind, you have no choice. This thing won't make it there and back during daylight." That was a surprisingly pain hit to my pride and I crossed my arms against my chest and sank defiantly into the seat, choosing to remain silent.

"Oh, don't become huffy, I am sure we can get you a good upgrade at some point." Upgrade? Why would _they_, whoever they were, get me an upgrade? That would too great a gift to accept. I still remained silent, but more out of disbelief.

She drove at my trucks limit all the way to Charlie's, where she parked it and waved me out of my seat. "Do we really have to do this?" I complained. "Well, what do you suggest we do?" she queried. "Well, you know, you could just come in and explain things to me," I waved my hand over my shoulder, signaling that I meant to talk in the house, and away from a mall.

Alice's face dropped a little and she sighed, but agreed and I led her in, up the stairs and into my bedroom. I dropped my backpack on the floor by the door and flopped down on my bed, sinking into the covers. Alice was like a little cat and pranced up so that she was _standing_ on the corner of my bed and then sank into a cross-legged position. She stared down at me for a moment and I did not know what to say, but then her eyebrow rose and she giggled. "I guess I will start and then you can ask questions where you get confused."

I nodded and she began. "I am sure you are confused about what happened between you and Rose, about how you could not keep yourself away from her." My head bobbed as I recalled it. "All vampires possess predatorily perfect bodies. We all have high levels of potent pheromones that leave our prey completely submissive to our desires. Our prey will not be able to help but desire to be close to us, where we have complete access to their blood. You found yourself completely enticed by those pheromones and your body moved of its own accord, desiring to be super close to what it correctly deemed to be the source of the arousing feelings."

I squeaked at her words, covering my face with my hands and rolling over so that my back was facing her. "Bella, it is quite alright. I know you were aroused, I could smell it once I exited the school. That is just what happens and your body craved what made it feel such stimulation."

I could feel color creeping into my cheeks and buried my face in my covers. "But, I did not feel _that_ when we were in the locker room. We were just as close there," I mumbled through my covers."

"Yes, this is easily explained as well! The first chemical to enter your brain was an adrenaline inducing fear. You basically made yourself override the urge to mate with her because of your fear." Mate! Was that really what I wanted to do? Was I really yearning to fuck her in that moment? Looking back, I cringed, realizing the truth. At that moment, out in those trees, I would have let her do anything, dirty or otherwise, it did not matter.

"But, why was I like watching myself getting close to her? I had no control, but I was definitely awake." Alice made a _hmmm_ noise but then responded. "I don't know what, but something snapped you out of a complete lull. Basically, the rational half of your brain woke up and fear kept it awake, but the other part of your brain was still consumed by lust."

"Can you quit being so lude?" I protested. "You make it sound like I was really going to have dirty sex with her or something."

"Dear, that is exactly what I am implying. That was where it was headed and while in your state of complete arousal, she was going to drain you. Your arousal is what caught her in the state she was in. It put her over the edge, because it smells so much better than normal."

"Can you please stop saying arousal or aroused?" I was so thoroughly embarrassed by the conversation.

"I want to try something. Sit up," she commanded. I did not move right away, not sure I wanted to. "If you don't, I will force you," she warned. Knowing she could and probably would, I reluctantly twisted back around and lifted into a sitting position on the edge of my bed. Alice bounced up off the bed and stood before me in my room, holding her hand out to me.

I rolled my eyes and heaved myself up, moving closer to her, my arms crossed over my chest, my eyes meeting hers warily. "I want you to do to me what you did to Rose. Get really close to me."

"What! Why?" I yelped, taken totally by surprise. "We are doing an experiment," she replied nonchalantly. I did not move as she stared me down, holding my gaze so that I could not look away. Her eyes filled with mischief and she gave me a look akin to saying "are you sure you want to relist?"

"Oh, no, no, we can't do th-this. Alice-" I held my hands out in objection, but in the blink of my eyes, found her pressing in close to my body, her arms wrapping around my waist. "Alice!" I squawked, trying to step back, but finding that her arms would not budge. Her short cropped hair tickled my cheek.

Our stance was not sexual, but rather uncomfortable and way too close. "Bella, what do you smell?" I wriggled in her grip, without answering. "The quicker you answer, the sooner I let you go."

Trapped, she had me trapped. My shoulders sagged but I was quite aware of how close my left shoulder was to her nose. I sighed and bent my neck slightly and swiveled my head so that my nose pressed softly against her neck. Taking a big whiff, I said, "I don't know, Alice, you smell nice. Like winter, maybe." She giggled and I felt her head nod. "And, Bella, what do you _feel_?"

I blinked. "N-nothing." I paused and then repeated myself, felling more confident in my statement. "I don't feel anything. I am in control and my head is not blank." She laughed and took a step back.

"That is exactly right." She beamed up at me and my jaw dropped. She had _known_! I drew breath to complain, but she silenced me with a cool finger. "If I just explained it to you, you would not have entirely understood," she informed me. "You understand what I was showing you, don't you?"

She had had no effect on me, that was clear, but why? "No! No, seriously?" she gave me a look of "elaborate on that thought for me, won't you" and I began to stutter through an explanation. "I- Her- Rose and me, we- no, we can't be! I can't be! No!"

"Bella, you are making very little sense. Please form a coherent sentence, please." I glared at her and envied her calm. "I can't be attracted only to her, can I? She shook her head. "No, that is exactly right." Again, she was so _not _making this easy.

I stumbled back and when my leg hit the bed, my knees gave out and I sat down sharply. I don't know how long I sat in silence or when Alice sat down next to me, but eventually I blurted out, "but, sh-she does not even like me!" Of all things to be worried about, right? God, I have the most abnormally prioritized mind, I swear.

"You are wrong." A simple enough statement and it still left me stunned. "Rose may be rough around the edges, but she does not hate you. I might even go as far as to say she likes you!" I could hear the grin in Alice's voice, but it did not make me feel much better. I collapsed onto my bed. I really did not need something like this in my life. Or did I?


	11. Chapter 11

God, it felt like everyone was pushing for me and Bella to work out, that is, except me and Bella. Alice was invited Bella to the house to hang out with me, completely orchestrating my whole life the past few days, and everyone else in this family of mine thought it was a great idea… Kill me.

I don't know how Alice got Bella to agree, but four days after our incident in the woods, I found myself answering the door for Bella, in an empty house, my house, which is in the middle of fucking nowhere. That first moment when I tugged open the door was the epitome of awkward. I mean, talk about both of us not knowing what to say.

Bella took the initiative. "So, does Alice always, you know, do _this_?" She stuck one finger in the air and moved it in a circular pattern, indicating she meant everything.

I chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea." This was not actually the first time I had had to put up with her plans, though I am liking them less and less. "But, believe me when I say, it is best to just appease the little bugger or she _will_ drag you out shopping with her."

This comment got Bella to snicker along with me, shaking her head in mock disbelief. "Somehow, I think that is more literal than it should be." She was smiling and it looked genuine, which put my mind at ease for a moment, until I realized I was staring and that I was already giving in to this notion that we were meant to be together.

"Come on in, Bella. Um, make yourself at home." She moved passed me into the house, glancing about like it was, well, as magnificent as it was, for someone who was not used to it. "So, there is food in the kitchen and we can… you know, eat wherever you like." Alright, so while Alice had this whole master plan for myself and Bella to have a romantic dinner together, which one of us could not actually partake in, I had no intention of bringing her to the dining room, where table was lavishly decorated with the finest of silver cutlery and authentic porcelain China from the Tang Dynasty, and with the lights permanently set to a dim mood lighting. For one thing, I had no intention of courting Bella. And for another, with how clumsy she is, even I would not be able to keep the China intact. "Where would you like to eat?"

"Um, well, I- um, I-I already ate. I mean, I know you don't eat a-and I did not want to make things awkward," Bella murmured. She is lucky I did not take the time to make this meal or I would have been ripshit for her not eating it, but having not lifted a finger to prepare it, I just shrugged. "Well, it is there for whenever you get hungry."

She nodded repeatedly, an oddly flustered look about her. It was pretty clear that she was not comfortable with giving direction tonight, in the slightest, and I was going to fully take the reins. In that moment of realization, a few things crossed my mind. For one thing, I wondered if she finally put it together that having anything to do with me was a really fucking bad idea. I mean, the way she was in the woods, I wanted to strangle her for not being scared. You have to be really and truly mentally unstable to know that someone is a vampire, while being entirely human yourself, and just get over it like it is nothing. I know this thought line is something that is becoming almost redundant, but for shit's sake, what the fuck?

For another, I wondered for a split second how far I could direct her. If she was not going to make any move to input any idea or voice any opinions, I would be running the show, right? So, if I decided we were going to play a board game, she would just do it, right? Well, what about a pillow fight? Or better yet, a wrestling match? (Not that I for even for a moment thought that those were safe ideas). Or, if I asked her, at that moment, to make out with me, would she? Did I have control over everything? Technically, she could not say no to me if she tried, with me having the power to force her into just about any situation as it were, but did that mean she would just not bother to say no?

I quickly diverted my thoughts, not feeling it right to put anyone in that sort of position. And plus, with the fact that I did just think to ask her to make out with me, I cringed mentally. "How about we head upstairs then," I suggested, testing the waters, looking for how she might respond. "Uh, yeah, that sounds good." Her response was indifferent and had me leaning towards the idea that she would do whatever I proposed.

I pointed in the direction of the stairs, which she gave me a hesitant look for before moving in the direction I pointed. In my already cluttered mind, I forgot that where I pointed led up through the dining room and as we passed through, she of course saw the setup and halted at the view. "Wow, Rosalie, you did all this work?" She whipped (as fast as was possible for) around, staring up at me with a worried look. "I am so sorry! I-if I had known that you were going to go out of your way to do this for me, I- I'm sorry." I was partially stunned into silence. One, because she thought I had did it. And two, because she was actually really upset. I did not really know how to respond. "Uh, oh, no, it was no trouble. Don't worry about it. I did not even d-" "This is so sweet… I don't even know what to do with it," she said, cutting me off from telling her it was not my doing. Sweet? Her wording had me mentally smiling, directly followed by mentally cringing. I let the truthful words on my tongue die, allowing them to go unsaid. "Let's just go upstairs," I urged and she nodded, with my gratitude.

I found myself noticing things as we walked – the way she moved, where she hesitated in her steps, how her head swiveled to look at every corner of the house that we passed, what seemed to catch her attention. Each little thing intrigued me as I studied her. I wanted to put more distance between us, for the sake of my nose, but I knew that would be too outwardly awkward, so I just held my breath and directed her with the point of my finger, rather than words.

My room is on the second floor, coincidently next to Alice's (which is technically Jasper's too, seeing as they chose to live together, but with her overwhelming personality and need for expression, it could barely be considered his. He spends more time in Edward's room or his office anyway). I pointed her down the hall, allowing her to take a glimpse into every room we passed. She did pause at Alice's, taking one look before turning to me and jabbing her thumb towards the room. "Alice's, I am assuming." I could not help but grin, giving her a nod of affirmation. But then as she turned back down the hall, I felt my grin fall. I found that I disliked that most off what we talked about was Alice – in an odd way, I was jealous. I felt like she knew things about Alice and not about me. They were growing close and there was nothing between myself and Bella other than this supposed idea that we were mates.

We finally reached my room, rearranged by the little devil herself in a way that was 'suitable to Bella' - because of course I could not do it myself. The more I looked at the situation, the more I felt like a pawn in Alice's attempts at making a new friend, a human friend. But was I just being selfish, I tried asking myself. I was being handed a mate, something that every vampire desires, and I was resisting it and making things difficult and looking at aspects of Bella's life that I should not even care about. It was all just so confusing.

"Here we are," I let out, in a tone that surprised even me in how husky it was. I cleared my throat and tried to hide my surprise with a smile. "Rose, a-are you uncomfortable with me being here?" Bella asked, before entering the room. It caught me off guard, to say the least, but that seemed to be becoming a norm. "I- No, well yes, but no. I don't know. Why do you ask?" With the question no turned to her, she took on the look of a cornered animal. Perhaps I was harsh in my words, or did I glare? I could not tell. Everything just seemed to happen so fast, despite the fact that it was truly the reverse.

"Oh, I just thought you looked, well, um, st-stiff. I mean, with most things you do, you are so graceful and smooth, I suppose would be the best way to put it, but here, with me and you, I don't know." I gave a silent snort, which had her flinching and then me reprimanding myself. "Bella, you should not take that personally. I am not uncomfortable with you, per se, just the situation. Come on, why don't you come sit down. I think we should just get things straight between us."

She nodded, entering my room finally, glancing about in an absent way. "You can have the bed, if you wish." Her gaze fell to the bed, tucked into the corner of the room. "You have a bed? Don't you, you know-" "Not sleep?" I interrupted. "No, I do not, but it is there for show and for- no, nevermind." She gave me a puzzled look. "What? What else do you use it f- oh." She blushed madly as she came to the realization of the fact that the bed was used mainly for the purposes of sexual encounters. I could feel the heat that radiated off of her and a hint of arousal. Oh god, why was I constantly slipping up? "S-so, um, wh-who do you, d-do it with?" It was my turn to wear a puzzled expression. "Who do I have sex with?" She nodded, her ears flaming with color as well as her neck, her heart rate becoming quite elevated, which I could not help but think was absolutely adorable.

"Ah, well, Emmett's mate Tanya has given him permission to do as he pleases, seeing as she stays with a different coven apart from our own and so we have a tendency to help each other with the lack of partner. Also, on occasion, Alice can be quite persuasive in the area of having flings. She and Jasper are a very on and off thing, so during their off days, Alice loves to go wild, which is a rather lovely experience, but only fun. I have never come between Carlisle and Esme, at any time, and I have only tried it with Jasper once. He is a very formal man, not much for wild passion, which is a turn off in my book. And Eddy, well, he likes to look at what his partner is thinking as they sleep together, which I think is altogether intrusive, so I have avoided that. Other than that, I have had a few flings with Irina, Kate and Tayna even, when they are around." The more I talked, the redder Bella became and the more I pushed, until finally she squeaked in protest. "Rosalie, please, I don't really need to know."

Her body was so warm, even from the distance between us, and I noticed with a small chuckle that she chose to sit on the couch. "Have I mentioned I do it on the couch too?" "Rosalie," she shrieked, jumping up and tossing a pillow at me, although quite off target, which I caught before it hit my lamp. I burst into laughter as she gave me the cutest flushed look I have ever seen. "Sorry Bella," grunted between breaths of laughter. "Look, it is all clean. You can have a seat wherever." She hesitated, inspecting the couch carefully before lightly placing herself back on its surface, quite on the edge of the thing.

In an attempt to make everything more comfortable, I climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged in the middle of it. "Look, I know Alice has probably laid this all out for you, but I want you to really understand what is going on and what my feelings are on the subject." The room, which had just seemed to lighten, was suddenly thick with tension once more. "Everyone is of the mind that we are meant to be mates, which as Alice should have explained is another way of saying we are meant to fall in love and live together for the rest of forever." I explained it in the driest way possible, but I was unsure how she was taking it. Her face had gone entirely blank, like she was lost in thought. "I hate to be a romantic or anything, 'cause that is so not me, but I am fairly certain that this is not how it is supposed to go. I mean, I thought I was supposed to fall in love and then woo my interest, not, well, not just be told that you are the one I am supposed to love."

Bella, who had been looking at her lap until the point, glanced up, our eyes locking. "Do you not like me?" She seemed really hurt. "No, that- that was not what I was trying to say!" I protested. I get go a sigh. "No, I like you just fine, but I feel like you and I are the only ones not pushing for this to happen. Do you even like me?" I asked in return. "I- I don't know. I can't tell. I-I feel attracted to you, for sure, but I don't know if it goes beyond that," Bella admitted. I nodded in understanding. "But, at the same time," she continued, drawing my attention back to her, "I have never felt so much about someone. It is hard to say, but I can't get you out of my head. And when I think about it, that could be chalked up to you being a predator and all, but I don't feel the same for Alice or any of the rest of your family."

There was a long silence between us. Finally I broke it, asking, "Are you alright with me being a girl? I mean, I have done it with plenty of chicks and I don't really care about people's gender, but I have had a long time to come to that. What about you?" Bella opened her mouth and then closed it, before finally saying, "Well, I had not really thought about it. I don't know. I have never minded the idea, I suppose." Not a very definitive answer, but acceptable enough.

"I don't mean to be pessimistic or cynical, but vampire and human relations are very fragile, and as much as the vampire is the one with the physical power, if it is a true relationship, the human needs to be able to assert themselves," I warned. Bella looked down at her lap again. "I-I don't know that I could do that." I narrowed my eyes slightly, my brows furrowing. "Well, why not?"

When she looked up, her eyes pleaded that I change the subject, but me being stubborn and all, I just waited. "I-I c-could never t-tell you what to do." There was a pang in my chest and a not in my throat, that I could not seem to swallow. "Do I scare you, vampire or otherwise?" Her eyes were looking back down at her lap. "You can say it," I pushed. She did not look up, but just muttered an almost inaudible, "yes." I flinched visibly and enough to cause the bed to creak. I was looking down at that point, but I could feel Bella's gaze fall upon me again. "No," she protested. "I did not mean that you scare me- well, you do, but it is more because you are afraid of yourself. You think so poorly of yourself and it affects my view." There was a thickening silence that lingered in the room.

"So let me get this straight," I tried to get her to clarify, "you are afraid of me only because I am cautious about the dynamics of a vampire and human relationship?" I could feel Bella's heartbeat pick up, but in a more flustered way than when I had talked about my sex life. Her breathing hitched and it drove me to comfort her, without thinking about it. I was kneeling in front of her before her next heartbeat, my hand resting tentatively on her knee. "Bella, let us make a promise right now, that we will both work on being brave. I don't want there to be bad blood between us, even if I am not sure about us being in love or anything like that. Let's take this slowly and just become friends and see if we even get along." She nodded weakly, smiling down at me. "I would like that," she breathed.

The demon in me howled with laughter. _Rosalie, dear, you don't do anything slowly. You are all about the passion, the lust. You want to just take her where she sits and take her until you get bored. You want to pin her on the couch and have your way with her._ I tried to shake the lust that welled up inside me. Bella was not there for me to have fun. No human was. And if she were my mate, I would never treat her that way.

"Then from here on, I will trust that we will work together to make sure nothing happens," I said, with as warm a smile as I could manage. Her hand moved, grabbing mine, where it still rested on her knee. "Am I really meant to like you?" she whispered in question. Her chocolate brown eyes had an odd mix of desire and somberness to them, swirling together in an alluring fashion. "We will find out, I suppose," was all I had to say.

My mind fogged over in that moment and my eyes unfocused, but when everything came back, Bella was leaning in towards me. I straightened up as much as I could to meet her, our faces becoming mere inches apart. God does she smell good, her skin, her hair, her breath, her entire being. Our lips connected, just for a moment, in a soft touch that allowed us, in our states of no control, to test the water. Her lips were soft, so much more than anyone I had been with before. They were delicate, untouched, and human. Satisfied that everything was alright, we connected again, our bodies shifting together. I felt her hands in my hair as I trailed my up her back, finally holding her neck and chin, pulling her in closer. My body did its own thing, but managed to keep it gentle, my fingers barely pushing on her flesh.

The flavor of her exploded in my mouth, short-circuiting my brain. Our mouths pushed against each other's, dancing together in a mutual frenzy, but neither warring for dominance. Soon I had my lips parting, wanting to allow myself to taste her further. She followed my lead, her lips parting and granting my tongue access. She was so warm and I felt like my head was on fire, in a good way, as my tongue explored her mouth.

The experience of it all was out of this world – nothing like anything I had ever felt. I had had my fun before, lying with plenty of people who really knew what they were doing, but in the moment I had with Bella, it was something different entirely. I had felt heat born of passion and lust, but this was electricity passed between us by just the littlest of contact. I was not hungry, either, no just entirely content – blissful, even. There was nothing more I needed than to be connected with her.

"Rose," she breathed heavily, when she pulled away, for air, "I love you." The words brought me so much joy, but then I felt a searing pain jab through my undead heart. What is she only loved me because of my natural pheromones? What if she was being swayed out of her true desires by my unnatural magnetism? We did not know each other. The only love we shared was physical – and is that even love at all? I pulled away, even as she moved in for more. "Bella, hun, you can't mean that."

She shook her head, again moving in, her motions clearly insisting we continue. "No, I really do," she asserted. Her tone was lustful, drunk with desire. It hurt, that in that moment, when I had felt so much intense connection that was amplified by the fact that I was in control of myself, she was intoxicated and in no condition to say no. Oh, if I could cry…

Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes empty. She began to breathe raggedly when I put a hand on her shoulder to hold her away from me. My entire being screamed to take advantage of the moment, but I fought it, with all that remained of my soul. "Bella, I am so sorry." To put a halt to it all, I quickly tapped the pressure points in her neck that caused her to instantly pass out. She collapsed forward, into me, but I maneuvered her up into my arms and carried her to my bed, where I laid her down. I could not tell how long she might be out for, but I knew she needed to be released from my pull.

I looked over her for a moment, moving a lock of hair from her face, which was finally peaceful. At least this night had confirmed one thing – I was definitely, without a doubt, attracted to Bella Swan. Fuck my life.


	12. Chapter 12

I jolt forward with a start, finding myself sprawled out over Rosalie's bed. It takes a few moments to recognize where I am and to notice the beauty who sat on the couch, staring blankly out at nothingness. It is odd, having caught a glimpse of her in thought. Usually she has such an intense stare, latent with emotion. She glances up, finally aware of my awaking. "Did I lose control," I inquired, but was already too aware of the truth. I had lost it when-

When our lips met.

We had kissed. It was an overwhelming thought that sent my mind off in a spiral of doubt. She had asked me before why I could not take control. I had said it was because she made me afraid, and while that was true, the more deep-seeded reason was a feeling of inferiority and insignificance. And not so much in the physical sense. Yes, she could overpower me with no strain on her, but this was different. I felt like I could not hold a candle to her beauty, her presence, or her clout. I am the impoverished, dirty farm girl to her elegant, regal queen. And a farm girl does not command a queen.

"Just a little," she allowed, granting me a floatation device for keeping my pride from sinking into the depths of an ocean of shame. "But do not worry – I think I can handle your advances."

I could tell she was trying to lighten the mood, but I did not have the presence of mind to stop myself from saying, "Well, at least that makes one of us." She eyed me with a sympathetic expression and I felt a lump rising in my throat.

"Hey, hey, Bella. Listen, this is something we have to work through. And we made a promise to be brave."

I returned her stare, but faltered when my gaze dropped to her lips. "I just cannot stop thing about you." I paused a moment, gathering my courage, before meekly continuing. "And things."

"Things?" she pressed, attentiveness coloring her expression.

"You know- things!" I could not bring myself to get the honest words out. "D-dirty things," I elaborated, at a whisper, my voice not allowing for anything more.

"Oh? Tell me about these dirty thoughts," she pestered, a grin spreading over her lips, making her look like a predator toying with her prey. I could not keep the warmth from spreading between my legs and the color that rushed to suffuse my cheeks. It was as if my body was admitting my deepest, most kept secrets; Admitting that I had spent the days since the encounter in the woods daydreaming about her forcing me into the acts of fiery passion; Admitting that my breath hitched when she became a predator; That my heart raced when she stared at me with a longing, or perhaps a hunger.

"Pl-please don't make me talk about it," I squeaked, my voice cracking despite my best efforts to keep it together. My thoughts scared me. The desire I had, being something I had never known, was an invasion I had no defense for. And I had no understanding of it. Part of my mind called it unnatural, fearing and hating the changes.

Her face took on a look of concern and she eyed me, trying to make out what was happening. I did not doubt that she could sense the shifts and reaction of my body. It was bothersome to know that I could hide none of my physical responses from her.

To distract my thoughts, I wondered what it was like for her. Could she really hear my heartbeat or smell my arousal? Could she tell when I began to sweat? Could she hear when I swallowed? I figured the answer to all of the questions in my mind was 'yes'. It was entirely invasive, but I knew it was not something she could help. It was part of being one of her kind. It was what made her the best of predators.

I did not fear being prey. As strange as it was, I felt a trust for her, in that regard. She might chalk it up to being deceived by her pheromones or whatever, but I think it is one of the few things my rational mind had grasped. She had no intention of hurting me and that was enough to make me trust her. However, I, like her, feared myself. I feared the way I changed, the way I made things difficult for her. I feared the day when she would realize I was not worthy of her time.

"Bella, while being entirely in control of myself, I would never make you do anything." She was contrite and looked down at her lap. "It is not my right," she added, somberly. My heart squeezed without my consent, bringing her eyes back upon me. I felt a helpless yearning for her to take the words back. My body screamed that all I wanted was for her to take advantage of my fragility. I wanted her to do as she pleased and to not hold back. I closed my eyes, forcing my head to the side in an attempt to hide my face. I told myself it was disgusting to want something like that. Not to mention dangerous. But still my body desired it.

I knew I was caught up by her. Her natural seductive qualities had me trapped in a war between my body and mind. And yet I still wondered – was it entirely the fault of her pheromones? Or was it a subconscious desire that was brought to the forefront of my mind, with the pheromones acting as a catalyst? I could not determine the veracity just by thinking about it, but I also could not bring myself to talk about it. While she could make guesses at the causes of my fluctuations in temperature or the quickening of my heart, Alice had said that none of them could see the inside of my head. My thoughts were something I could hold as my own.

"Bella, try not to strain yourself over there." I forced a weak smile. "Come on. Let's do something and act for a moment like we are normal people hanging out together." I protested, saying that I was normal. She exhaled sharply, a playful, but warm smile brightening her features. "A human that is not afraid of a vampire that sits across from her in a room is definitely not normal."

I grumbled at her accusations, but found myself acquiescing. "Fine," I allowed, "but you are the weirder of us."

"And how do you figure that?"

"You are weird enough to fall for me." There was a moment that she stared at me in silence, but then she burst into a fit of laughter. I got caught up in the laughter, joining her.

"I will have to concede that you have won this debate," she said when our giggles died. "But, you should think higher of yourself. I know I do." She thought highly of me? I wanted to press her, but did not want to seem as if I was fishing for compliments. So, I let the comment go unquestioned. Of course, I could not help the slight blush that colored my cheeks. "So, what is it you wish to do?"

I ran through a list of ideas. Well, Alice had said watching movies was more like watching a flipbook with audio, so I was not going to put Rosalie through that. I was sure I would have lost at any game we could play, which would become a bore after a while. I was not yet hungry. So, what else was there to do in the house?

Or, maybe it did not have to be in the house. "We could go for a walk," I suggested.

She was silent for a moment. "Yes, I think that would be nice," she agreed. She stood, her eyes soft as she smiled down at me. "Shall we go?"

I nodded as I maneuvered myself off the bed. I adjusted my wrinkled clothing, trying to look a little more presentable. She just watched, patient. Her expression was so light, very different from the strained one I was used to seeing. It was like a giant weight had been lifted from her mind and it was nice to see, but made me wonder what had changed.

When I nodded in response, she led the way downstairs and outside. The house where the Cullens lived was surrounded by woods and perfectly secluded. I had figured we would just walk down the long drive, but it seemed that Rosalie had different plans. When we had reached the end of the walkway, she stopped short and turned about. "Bella, could put your arms around my neck?"

Do you ever have those moments where your brain just shuts off, being overloaded by shock? Yeah, well, I get that all the time and I tripped over my own feet as my brain could no longer concentrate on making me walk properly. When I had steadied myself, I proceeded to stumble over my words. "Wh-what? Why would I put m-my" -I waved my arms, being unable to pull the word out of my cluttered mind- "a-around your neck?" This was not what I needed. The point was to stay in control.

"It is necessary," she informed me, but broke the connection between our eyes. "I want to bring you somewhere, but I need to carry you there."

If my arms were to go around her neck, then she would be- she would be carrying me in her arms! "Oh, no! No no no no! I am not being carried in your arms. It is so belittling."

"How is it belittling? I am just carrying you." She looked distant, as if her thoughts were not in the present.

"That is exactly what makes it belittling! That I have to be carried!" I was shouting and Rosalie looked pained. "It makes it all the more obvious the difference between me and you."

Rosalie closed the distance between us at a human pace. I looked away, stubbornly, my arms crossed over my chest. "I told you," she soothed, "you must think higher of yourself." Her cool fingers came to rest on my reddening cheek, coaxing my head to turn back. "You cannot try to compare us. I am-"

"Perfect," I provided, spitting the words out like it was toxic.

"That was not what I was going to say," she refuted, her own tone rising with irritation. "No, I was going to say we are of different kinds. I hate to use such a clichéd comparison, but we are like an apple and an orange." The desolation of her words was sobering. "And I am, by no means, perfect."

"How are _you _not perfect?" My words held only a hint of scorn, curiosity overwhelming the wrath.

"I cannot blush." I opened my mouth to deny its qualification as imperfection, but her was over mine, bringing my lips together in a kiss. Taken by surprise, I did not react before her mouth moved on, her lips dragging across the line of my jaw and then hovering by my ear. "You are blushing." The fire in my face and the shiver that ran down through my body told me she was right. She pulled back, that sadness still in her eyes, their golden depths swirling. "When you blush, it is like a nonverbal compliment. Words can be spoken by anyone and to anyone, but a blush is something only afforded to someone who can bring it out. I cannot show you the same courtesy.

"I shall never change and I will look no different for you than I do for any other person."

I frowned. "You make it sound like such a big deal."

She smiled sadly. "To me, it is."

I closed my eyes for a moment, sighing deeply before I looked at her once more. "Fine. We will do this. But can't it be a piggyback ride?"

She chuckled. "No. There are too many dangers to me piggybacking you." A raised eyebrow from me urged her to continue. "If you were on my back, there is a far greater chance of your head snapping back, and, while I am holding your legs, you would be responsible for holding onto my shoulders. If your grip slips, injury is an almost definite possibility."

"Wow, alright then," I forfeited. Narrowing my eyes, I asked, "So, what are you basing that on?"

She gave a small exhale of a laugh. "Logic?" she responded, the question in the statement inquiring about the satisfactory level of her response.

"Nevermind," I huffed. I moved forward with caution, my arms looping around her neck. She excused herself, bending slightly to hook her far arm behind my knees, her other arm supporting my back. When she stood, my legs came up and I choked back a squeal. I instinctively tightened my grip on her neck and buried my face in her neck, but she did not complain. It took a few moments to get used to the fact that my feet were not on the ground.

"Are you ready?" Her voice vibrated through her body. I nodded, but did not lift my head. "Take a deep breath and hold it," she told me. I did as I was told, breathing in her scent. My head became a bit fuzzier, but I was still there.

She started out slow, accelerating at a fixed rate. I had my eyes closed, but I could feel us traveling at a speed unattainable by most cars. As I was beginning to struggle to hold my breath, she had begun to slow once more, until she came to a halt. "You can open your eyes now," she cooed. I cautiously lifted my head from her shoulder, looking out at where we were. We, well she, stood on a cliff overlooking a body of water that stretched out for miles. Surrounding the water was endless green forest and behind the trees rose mountains. She put me down, holding me steady as I regained my footing. She walked forward to the edge of the cliff, her hair being tugged forward by the wind.

When she turned around, I realized that where we were, the sun was at my back and not obstructed by cloud cover. Her skin had a radiant glow to it in the sun, and when she smiled, I swore to myself I was looking at a goddess. She made the beautiful landscape look like a child's painting. "I bet nobody has seen you like this," I said.

**I want to thank everyone who has been reading my story. I know I have been absent for, gosh, seven months or something crazy like that, so I apologize for the wait. I have grown a lot as a writer but still find myself constantly dissatisfied with my work, so getting chapters out has been, let's say, difficult. But, I have received wonderful encouragement and that is what has gotten me to finally get this new chapter together. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	13. Chapter 13

When the sun had finally set and the moon shown high in the sky, I carried Bella back to the house. I could feel her pulse in my fingertips and her light breath against my neck. The predator in me seemed to be miles away. I was just content to have a moment close to her. A slight shiver ran through her body. It must have gotten colder.

When her feet were returned to the ground, I offered an arm for support as we made our way inside. "So, are you hungry now?" Her stomach responded for her, growling loudly. "I will take that as a yes." I led her to the kitchen, for once fully stocked with food. "Anything in particular you want?"

She shook her head. "Anything is fine."

"You are free to anything we have."

She nodded in gratitude, exploring the fridge and pantry. "You have steak?" she asked, holding up a package, with a questioning look. I gave a small shrug. "Then, I suppose if anything should not go to waste, that would be it."

I grinned. "Is that the only reason you want it?"

"Well, no," she allowed. "I love my meat."

"Is that so?" I pressed, with a blatantly suggestive tone. She gave me a look that said 'you would'. She was beginning to resist my attempts at making her blush. I nodded and took the package from her. "Well, let's get this on the grill."

"Can you even cook?" she inquired.

I exhaled a single breath of laughter. "Until I was twenty, I was practically trained to be the perfect wife for whatever man I ended up marrying." I tried to keep my tone light, but my insides twisted with discomfort.

"You were twenty when you got changed?" Her eyes were attentive. She was truly curious.

I nodded. "What age did you think I was?"

She shrugged. "It is hard to tell. Your presence has a maturity, but your features have a youth." Her brows bunched as she considered it, her eyes traveling about the room, not focusing on anything, as thoughts flitted through her head. "I suppose I thought you were my age. Eighteen." A new thought dawned on her. "How long ago were you changed?"

"It is impolite to ask a lady her age." She pursed her lips and her brow pulled close to her eyes, giving her a look of being exasperated. "I was born in 1915. I was changed by Carlisle in 1935."

She ran the numbers through her head. "That is a long time to be alive. Almost a hundred years!" I nodded. "Do you wish you weren't?"

"Changed?" I searched for clarification. She nodded, urging me to continue. "Every day." Her expression sobered, becoming sad. "But, at the same time, there are things I enjoy."

"Like what?" I was just opening the package of meat, having already prepared the grill. I was hit with the putrid smell of the uncooked meat and my face twisted with disgust. "I did not mean to pry," she insisted, hastily.

I shook my head. "It was not you. I forgot that uncooked meat smells of death." It dawned on her that my sense of smell was more powerful than her own. She whispered a soft apology. "I suppose there is a lot more I can do. Every child has dreams, but most have to choose only one or two. I get to try them all, perfect them all."

"That must be nice," she conceded. "Things must also be really easy for you. I mean, super human speed, strength, thought. You name it, you have it."

"What fun is no challenge at all?" I threw out one of the philosophical questions I am often faced with.

"I guess that might get boring after a while," she acknowledged. "You have your family and various flings," she offered, as if to console me.

"True. And I love my family."

She smiled, the happiness reaching her eyes. I handed her the steak on a plate and told her to return to the dining room. I zipped into the kitchen starting the preparation of a salad to go with her steak, finishing before she had reached her seat, bringing the salad and some water out to the table. "Convenient," she murmured as she sat down, eying the salad. "This all looks delicious." I flashed to the kitchen, returning with a set of silverware. Digging into the food she nodded enthusiastically. "This is so good! How did you get it done so well?"

"I can smell when it is done," I confessed.

"Figures," she smiled while shaking her head. She made her way through the food, while I cleaned the grill and kitchen. I completed my task well before she was done, rejoining her and taking a seat across from her at the table.

She glanced up from her food and started when she saw me. I had forgotten to announce myself. Her hand jerked, drawing a red line down her opposite hand. I jerked back, knocking the chair back into the wall, were it fell over. I stopped breathing and tried to ignore the surge of thirst that hit me. Venom welled in my mouth and the demon inside me howled and fought against its restraints, fueled by the scent. My body was preparing for a hunt, my senses becoming keener, ready to be put to use.

She was fumbling with her napkin, trying to stop the blood flow. It would be so easy to kill her. She was not even paying attention. I could leap across the table and have her throat ripped open before she even looked up. I could consume her and enjoy every second of it.

My humanity fought against my killer instinct. Bella finally looked up, concern coloring her face. "Rose?"

I felt her voice like beacon in the darkness in my heart. It guided me towards the light. All I had to do was win the high ground and then I would have the means to fight back the thirst. I followed that glow, wrapped my fingers around it and held it close for warmth.

"Bella," my voice was a low growl. "You need to excuse me." The scent of fear radiated through the room. It was tantalizing. "Use the kitchen to clean up." I dashed away, going outside where the air was clear of the scent. I breathed deep, trying to wash away any trace.

I howled a piercing screech. I need something to distract me. I ran into the woods and as soon as I could not see any road, slammed my fist into the nearest tree, shattering its trunk, sending it toppling away from me. Another thought crossed my mind. _The lake._ I was already at a run, blurring the trees around me. The edge of the cliff approached and I did not even hesitate as I launched myself off of it, rocketing into the air and plummeting in a shallow arc into the dark waters. I let myself submerge, let the water create a barrier from the world. It cooled my fire, soothing the burn.

Minutes passed as I sank into the depths. When I felt satisfied that I had come down from the hunt, I swam to shore, walking out drenched, and disappeared into the woods, back tracking to the house. When I entered, Bella held a few paper towels to her hand. She looked up from her hand when I knocked on the door frame. "Rose!" She did a double take. "You are soaking wet!" I merely nodded, still not daring to draw breath for any reason. I ignored the trail of water that I tracked into the kitchen as I cautiously approached her. I took her hand in my own, drawing the towels away from the wound.

It was not deep, barely breaking the skin. She would not even need stitches. "Rose, your eyes are black," she whispered. Again I nodded, looking into her eyes. I wanted to tell her I was in control, but I could not without putting her in danger. It struck me how displeasing that felt. I allowed her to replace the towels as I went in search of Band-Aids. I returned with a rather large square one and a few spares. I also brought a bandage wrap. She offered her arm to me when I returned. I carefully put the Band-Aid over the cut and then wrapped her hand and wrist. The wrap was to put more of a barrier around the scent of blood.

I stepped a few paces back, putting distance between us before I finally spoke. "Are you done with your food?" She nodded. "Alright, I am going to take a shower. You are free to hang out in my bedroom until I am out." She nodded and retreated towards the stairs.

In the shower I cursed the events that had transpired. Why was it that I had to make every wrong choice? Why did I give her reason to be aroused? Why did I have her eat steak with a knife? Why did I fall for a human? The water gave me no answers.

When I entered my bedroom, Bella was seated on my bed. "You are thirsty, aren't you?"

"Unbelievably."

She looked like she was helplessly searching for a means to comfort me. "I- I am sorry."

"It is not your fault."

"But I," she protested, "I-"

"You did nothing. This is my existence. Always hungry for something I do not want to eat."

"Ha-have you ever, you know, had-"

"Human blood?" She closed her eyes and she nodded. "No."

Her eyes flew open and she stared at me. "Never?" I shook my head. "Wow. That is dedication to a life style."

I snorted a laugh. "I guess that is one way of putting it."

"How much do you want it?" she asked.

I knew of no way to put it nicely. "I have to convince myself every second not to rip your throat open and drain you until your body goes limp." I heard an audible swallow from her. "I am sorry. I have more control over myself now. I just need to hunt." Her eyebrows scrunched in concern, but there was no spike in fear. In fact, she remained steady. She was concerned for my wellbeing, or, perhaps my comfort. "Perhaps I shall do that while you sleep."

She responded with a yawn, as if I had reminded her of her exhaustion, and I glanced to the clock on the bedside table. It was going on ten o'clock. "Are you an early night person?" She nodded sheepishly. "Well, Alice went so far as to provide pajamas, so you are free to change into them. I will grab them for you." I found them in the drawers of my bureau and placed them into her waiting hands.

"I will clean up your food while you get changed." She nodded.

I went downstairs and was confronted by the knife that had slice open her hand. Holding my breath, I washed the utensil, trying to avoid looking at the specks of blood that washed away. I could not believe how weak I was. It was appalling. I spent a little extra time downstairs, trying to give Bella her privacy, but a particularly loud thud called me upstairs early, hoping against hope that Bella had not injured herself again.

Instead, I found Bella struggling to pull up the flannel pants that Alice had provided, her upper half clothed only by a surprisingly intricate bra. I blinked, taken by surprise, and she squeaked in embarrassment, her face flushing instantly. "I am sorry," I said in haste, a hand coming up to cover my eyes. "I thought you had fallen," I explained.

She slipped her shirt over her head and then I dropped my hand. "I am sorry. I did not mean to intrude."

She was still flushed and would not look at me. "It's okay," she mumbled. "I do not mind." Her eyes rose, looking me in the face, the shyness of the expression tickling my fancy.

"Alright, you should get some sleep," I changed that topic, not wanting to fall into another predicament that was dangerous for us. She nodded and crawled onto my bed. "Any particular time you want me to wake you?"

"Any time after nine would be fine," she decided. I was about to leave, to let her sleep, but she stopped me. "Rose?"

I turned back. "Yes?

"Could you- um, could you stay with me until I am asleep?"

_How do I respond?_ I was at a loss. I knew that I should probably get to my hunt, sooner than later, but then there was that pleading look in her eyes. "Of course. If that is what you want." She nodded and settled into the covers. I sat on the edge of the bed and she smiled up at me. She really was beginning to take control, I realized. She was making strides and perhaps, was further along than myself. Her eyes closed and she shifted around until she was comfortable. Sleep soon took her over and her breathing became slower and steady, her heartbeat slowing slightly.

I left without ceremony, and began my hunt.

* * *

_Crack!_

The baseball screamed away from the bat I was swinging, flaming and ripping apart as it flew through the air. "I just do not get how this happened."

"What? That you fell for a human?" Emmett called back from where he stood to pitch. He tossed a new ball, with the same resulting destruction.

"How does that even happen?" I grumbled. Another toss.

"I mean, you were always into some weird kinks." The new pitch was hit back straight at his head. He ducked out of the way with ease. "Hey, it was a joke." His grin was as wide as I had ever seen it.

"How long did it take you to come up with that one?"

"Two weeks? Yeah, that sounds about right." Two weeks? Two weeks ago was when Bella and I went for a walk. It had been one of the happiest moments of my new life. Bella had smiled naturally and casual conversation did not feel hard to keep up. The next pitch went by before I had realized it was thrown. "Hey, I know you are struggling with this, but I am serious when I say you are making things too difficult. So she is human. You have to be a little careful. Whatever."

"It is not that simple," I rebut.

"Make it simple."

My head dropped so that I was staring at the ground. He jogged forward, wrapping his strong arms around me. "I do not know how," I whispered. If I was not of my kind, my knees would have given out, I would be crumpled on the ground, sobbing hysterically. Instead, I became a statue, unblinking, unmoving, cold, and silent.

I had not seen much of Bella outside of school, since our day at the lake. I yearned to see her, to be with her. The need had grown in the days that passed, become harder to resist. I rebelled, held to the idea that this was being forced upon me. I told myself I was just being influenced by things Alice had told me. I was losing the battle, slowly giving up ground. I thought about her. I wanted to get to know her more.

"Just do not stalk her and watch her while she sleeps, or anything creepy like that." He guffawed. "Sounds more like something Eddy would do." His unabashed humor made me smile. He was the closest sibling I had and his straight forward and brazen words had a way of getting passed my walls.

"You are an idiot," I pointed out, but could not hide my grin.

"I know things are kind of coming at you from a bunch of sides, but my honest opinion – take it slow. Let things happen." His eyes were deep and thoughtful, humor set aside for the moment. "Things will happen as they do. Do not force anything. The human wants you."

"Yeah, sexually. She does not want _me_," I cut in. "Otherwise she thinks I am a god that she could never compare to."

He rolled his eyes. "And you don't carry the air of someone of importance?" I grumbled in response. "You still hold onto that noble attitude from your era."

"Fine, but how do I make her see that she does not need to be anything more than what she is?"

He shrugged his giant shoulders. "Hey, I have not really dealt with giving dating advice in a long time. Forgive my lack of answers." He looked up at the sky, lightning running through the clouds above. "I guess it is as simple as showing her." In the distance I heard a car approaching. It sounded like Alice's Porsche. "And then here comes the little devil to mess with all of your efforts," he chuckled. Another car followed behind, one I recognized as Carlisle's.

We stood still, waiting as their cars stopped and they approached on foot. Something was taking them longer than usual. As they came through the trees, I noticed that Carlisle had a body in his arms. "Huh, they brought Bella," Emmett remarked. "I am going to guess that you did not know about this," he commented, noting my rigidness. He sighed. "Don't lose your head." After a slight pause, he added, "Or knock off anyone else's head." I rolled my eyes, giving him an exasperated look.

Alice skipped ahead of the rest, reaching us with time to hold a short conference. "I hope you do not mind that I brought Bella. She wanted to see what it was like for us to play."

I cocked my eyebrow. "Well, if it was her wanting to be here and not you convincing her that she should be here, it is fine by me." I was really irked by how Alice was controlling everything always.

She smiled cheerfully as Carlisle and company caught up. "Oh hey there mortal!" Emmett addressed Bella. She rolled her eyes at him as she tried to gain her footing. "You ready to see the game of gods?"

My hand connected with the back of his head in a dope slap. He grinned sheepishly his hand resting where I had smacked him. "Bella," I acknowledged her. I did not really know what else to do. Unlike Alice and Emmett, I felt lost when it came to interacting with Bella. Things just never worked out smoothly.

"Rose," she returned the greeting.

"Alight, Bella," Emmett held up the ball that was still in his hand. "You get to pick the teams. It is three on three. Your choice."

"Oh, um," she deliberated about her decision. "Carlisle, Rosalie, and Jasper, on one team, and Alice, Emmett, and Esme on the other." The teams split, eying the opposition. I got into game mode, jeering at Emmett, playfully.

"So, who bats first," he called out.

Something flashed through Bella's eyes. It was devious. "Whoever has the bat when I say 'stop'," she declared.

It took a moment to sink in, but then I had to thrust my hand out as Emmett lunged at me, his hand grasping for the bat that I held. I hit the shoulder of the arm that was reaching out, causing him to turn off course, then the back of my hand slammed into the side of his head, causing him to stumble away.

A hand on my the back of my neck, a kick to the backside of my knee, and a forceful push had me first collapsing to a knee and then face first in the dirt. Alice was making use of her talents and had placed herself behind me before Bella had even announced anything, I realized. As she held me down, Esme, had moved in to pry the bat from my hand. Jasper took a swing at Esme, while the recovered Emmett distracted Carlisle. I shifted, pushing against the tiny Alice, but her knee came down in my back, pinning me for a moment longer. Jasper gave Esme a push, backing her up a few paces and a foot aimed at Alice caused the weight to be lifted from my back. I was on my feet, and as Alice lunged for me, I threw the bat away, intercepting her as she changed direction even before it left my hand.

My arms wrapped around her, holding her in a bear hug as she struggled. Emmett and Carlisle reversed positions, with Carlisle now distracting Emmett. Jasper caught the bat, but had to duck as Esme swung at him. Alice kicked the inside of my knee and I collapsed, but did not let go of her, instead twisting my body so that we both fell to the earth. "Stop!" Bella's voice called a halt to all activity and Jasper was the one still holding the bat. "Holy shit, you guys do not hold back," she noted that Alice and I were in the dirt.

We separated into our teams once more, Jasper triumphantly twirling the bat as he made his way over to side with myself and Carlisle. Emmett's grin was not dimmed. He was ready to play. Alice looked equally unflustered, although she did not like the dirt that coated her clothing. Jasper took his position at home plate, while Alice took the ball to the pitcher's position, Esme covered a deep second, and Emmett was deep into a more central left field. Jasper batted lefty and he sent the ball rocketing into deep right. Emmett was at a run just as the bat connected, chasing down the deep ball. Jasper had reached third when Esme caught the ball thrown by Emmett and he stopped there, grinning smugly.

I batted next. The ball soared into left field and I bolted around the bases. Jasper easily made it home, but I made the decision of trying to follow him. Emmett sent the ball to Esme, who was at third, but I had already passed the bag. She threw the ball over my head to Alice, just as I was sliding into home and her hand brought the boll down on my leg. Bella, the official umpire, looked me in the eye and called, "Out." Alice cheered and Emmett whooped from out in the field.

As I rose, I closed the distance between myself and her. "Bold call," I declared, letting my animalistic side say it. I walked pass to wait for my turn to come around once more. Carlisle was ready and Alice had pulled her hand back to toss the ball, but then stopped. All of our eyes were on her as she stood frozen. When her eyes focused once more, she skipped forward, conferring with Carlisle. "We have company. One minute."

The game was dropped and everyone gathered together. "How many," Esme asked.

"Three." Alice was still distant.

"No issue at all," Emmett grumbled.

Carlisle looked to the woods where they were coming from. We could hear their approach. "We will be civil. Move Bella to the back."

We gathered in front of her. She tugged on my shirt. "What is happening?"

"There are other vampires," I hissed over my shoulder.

Carlisle and Emmett strode forward, greeting the three nomads a small distance away from the rest of the family. "Welcome to Forks," Carlisle greeted.

"Thank you," the lead man returned. "We heard a recognizable scuffle and decided to come check it out."

"Just friendly play," Carlisle informed him. "To decide who got to bat first."

"Interesting method," the female cooed. Carlisle nodded in affirmation. "Care if we join?"

"We were actually just getting ready to wrap up our game," Carlisle replied.

"So soon," the other male asked. "You just started." His eyes looked passed Carlisle to Alice, and a smirk creased his lips, but then his eyes moved to Bella, just behind my shoulder. "Ah, you got hungry." A growl escaped my throat, deep and feral. Our ranks closed, cutting off view of Bella, whose hands remained gripping my shirt.

"We do not feed on humans," Carlisle input, receiving turned heads from all of the nomads. "We hold a permanent residence here, so we would also prefer that you refrain from feeding in the area."

The first male nodded. "This is your territory. We shall not hunt on your land. You have my word."

Carlisle nodded his thanks. "My name is Carlisle and this is my family. You are free to rest here, but then we are going to ask that you move on."

"Laurent," the first man returned his name. "And this is James and Victoria," he introduced his coven. "We shall leave you be then." I was bristling, impatient while I waited for them to leave.

When they were out of ear shot, Alice piped up. "I do not trust them." I was not the only one who had caught where James' eyes had gone. "We need to get Bella home."

We all agreed. "Will they follow?" Carlisle asked of Alice.

"Hard to tell. James might and Victoria stick with him. Laurent seems to want no trouble."

"Two at a time is no issue," Emmett snarled.

Jasper shook his head. "They fed recently. They will be strong. And James has the eyes of a hunter." Emmett grumbled.

"Jasper, you and I will follow them. Alice, keep tabs. You and Esme go secure the house. We will all meet back there. Rose, Em, take Bella back to the house, via car." Alice tossed Emmett the keys to her Porsche. I unceremoniously lifted Bella into my arms with a small apology. And then we split into our pairs. The race was on.

* * *

**Author's notes: Please be sure to review. I have a plan for where this is going, but if you have anything you would like to see, let me know in a review or pm, and I will see what I can do.**


	14. Chapter 14

**So, after a damn long time, I wrote a new chapter. I really do hope you all enjoy it. But, at the same time, I cannot promise that this will not be the last chapter. We will see how things go. **

* * *

A game of gods is certainly an apt description. I cannot say that I followed anyone's motions as they blurred into motion. They moved so automatically, already knowing how things would need to play out. Emmett would field, and I saw him just the moment when he threw the ball. Then Esme would appear at third, ready to catch the ball, and I would lose track of Alice, only to find that she was at home. When Rosalie rounded third and went for home, it was not until she and Alice were both standing at home that I realized I needed to do something.

And hell if I knew whether she had been safe. They were both looking expectantly at me and I made the snap decision to call Rosalie 'out', figuring it would not do to favor her. It did not surprise me that she was competitive, but when she closed the space between us, her eyes fierce and her voice so powerful, I felt my pulse quicken, arousal spiking, but then she walked on by me, leaving a wave of her scent to close my eyes. I took a deep breath of it, feeling my insides melt, but clear air came with my next breath and as I opened my eyes, everyone was lined up for Carlisle to bat.

It was disappointing as my body craved attention, almost as much as my mind. Rosalie and I had not had much contact and I had begun to feel empty days prior. I had taken to dreaming about her or pretending it was her hand between my legs as I drifted towards sleep at night. It was not something I was used to, but she was so magnetic and Alice had pointed out over and over that she was not as aloof as she made herself out to be. It made me want to discover more about her, learn about her extensive life. And I wanted to be a significant part of her new history.

Alice had been still long enough for me to catch up with the game, but then I realized that everyone else did not look like they were concentrating on the game. Instead, they were gathering together near me, calling quick conversation to each other.

"We will be civil. Move Bella to the back." Rosalie was suddenly standing very close, her back to me, facing some unseen advisory in the distance.

I could tell something was wrong and I instinctually grasped onto her shirt, wanting to keep her close, wanting to feel her protection. "What is happening?"

"There are other vampires," she informed me and it struck me that I had hardly considered the idea that there might be other vampires existing in the world. I could not tell what was happening beyond that, as the meeting happened a fair distance from me. I concentrated on Rosalie, her strong back, so enticing at that distance. I wanted to be closer, but I did not want to distract Rosalie.

I could feel Rosalie tense and a growl vibrated through her, making me shiver. The Cullens were all talking too quickly for me to catch what they were saying, but then I felt my feet being lifted off the earth and my arms automatically gripped onto Rosalie's neck, my thanks going out to the universe that it was Rosalie and not someone else that I gripped so tightly. "Woah," I said, more about the suddenness of the shift. I had been getting used to my latest means of transportation. I ducked my face into her shoulder as my world began to blur. Rosalie was not holding back.

We stopped and I looked up to see the cars just as I was dropped into a standing position. "Get in the car!" Emmett was ducking into Alice's bright yellow Porsche and Rosalie was on the other side of Carlisle's car. The passenger door was open and I wondered which of them had opened it while I slipped inside, shutting the door behind me.

As Rosalie gunned the motor, I struggled to get my seatbelt on. Emmett led in the Porsche and I thought I was going to hurl as the car weaved through the curves of the road at a speed they certainly should not. I remained quiet, focusing on not throwing up, closing my eyes and hoping that the movement portion of our panic could cease.

The sound of an incoming call startled me, but Rosalie picked it up well before I could have registered what the sound meant. "Emmett, Charlie's!" she hollered, and I had no idea if Emmett could hear her, but he had us turning around, heading towards Charlie's. It then sunk in that Charlie was my dad.

"What is wrong with Charlie?!"

Rosalie looked to me, her eyes full of concern but also warmth. "Nothing, and we will make sure nothing happens with him." My heart squeezed and I felt my throat tighten. "Alice had a vision, so we are going to go protect him. Jasper and Carlisle are already on their way to cut them off."

A jarring halt brought us into the driveway of Charlie's residence. His cruiser was not there and I felt my panic rise, consuming my thoughts. What had I gotten myself and him into? Was he going to die because of me?

"Bella!" Rosalie was leaned over the gap in the seats, gently pulling my chin towards her. I could barely focus on her. Everything felt so distant as her lips moved without sound. My head was abuzz, my vision shrinking into black. My world shifted, the feeling of my body being tugged being the only outside force that was registering in my mind.

I was a swirl of emotion, but I realized at some point that things were slowing, receding back. I felt a calm wash over me, and I slowly rose from the black depths of my own panicked mind. When my vision returned, Jasper was over me, Rosalie's face just behind his. It took me another moment to register that I was laying on the couch in Charlie's living room. "Bella," Jasper spoke smoothly, and it felt so peaceful. What was happening again? "I am going to ease off the tranquility," he said, but that meant little to me. I was happy just staring at his and Rosalie's faces.

The calm began to dissipate, leaving me in a state of neutrality. I began to remember events as they had happened, and while I felt nothing about it, I logically knew that it was because Jasper would not let me. I did not like feeling indifferent, but at the same time, it made things so clear. "Tell me what is happening."

"Charlie is not here, Bella," Rosalie informed me.

"Which means," Jasper added on, "that it would take James a fair amount of time to track him down. Charlie is not in danger at this moment."

A phone ringing brought my vision passed Jasper and Rosalie to the entrance to the kitchen, where Carlisle and Emmett were together. Carlisle answered his phone.

I felt my neutrality dim as Jasper's attention was pulled away from me. "Carlisle?" He was on his feet, moving towards the kitchen. "What happened?"

"He went to the house. We need to move. Leave the cars." I had never heard Carlisle be so short. "He got Alice." Jasper was gone and I felt my panic returning, hitting me hard, but I had already worked out some of my thoughts and so I had an easier time pulling myself back. "Rose, join when you can."

He followed Jasper and Emmett paused only a moment longer before he too left. "Bella," Rosalie probed softly.

"I am alright," I assured her and she lifted an eyebrow doubtfully. "I am," I pressed, but I could feel how weak my voice was. Alice was in trouble.

"Are you alright enough to join the rest of the family?" I nodded my head, lifting my arms. She moved closer so that I could wrap my arms around her neck. She lifted me smoothly and I squeezed her tightly, not for fear of falling, but because her arms made me feel safe, and because her scent and touch calmed me. And, in some small way, I hoped that it was calming for her. It was her sister that was in trouble.

We moved in a pattern. She would run until my breath ran out and then we would pause so that I could catch my breath. We did this maybe six or seven times. But then we were at the Cullen residence, in the living room, and I was standing in front of Rosalie. Esme was on the couch and I was struck by the fact that her legs were removed just above the knees. My breath hitched and I stumbled back into Rosalie, her hand coming up to cover my eyes. "What happened," I heard her ask, feeling the vibration through my body.

"James knew about Alice's gift. He knew her," Esme responded. I was glad to hear her voice, which was hardly strained. "He says he wants to ruin Alice and her family. I think he wants Bella still."

Carlisle's voice was smooth, likely influenced by Jasper. "Emmett, I need you to go to my hospital, pick up some blood. Rose, I need you to cover Bella's scent. Jasper, see if you can contact anyone in Seattle and see if they can get Charlie to be on business there. Then, try to get in contact with Edward."

I felt Rosalie begin to direct me away from the living room and then her hand left my face. She urged me forward with her hand on my back and I did as she wanted, heading for the stairs. We ended up in her bedroom, where she shut the door behind us.

"Rose, what did he mean by cover my scent?" She was standing like a statue in the middle of the floor, while I slowly sank onto her bed, sitting there, waiting for her to get out of her stupor.

"He needs to help Esme reattach her limbs, but it is going to require human blood, which means she is going to be forced into the hunt." Her eyes shifted towards me, looking apologetic. "He wants me to cover your scent with mine."

My brows came together. "And, how does that happen?" I knew the answer, but I thought there was a chance that I was wrong.

"I need to put my scent on you," she said, very slowly, and I felt my pulse quicken. "And the stronger my scent is, the better." She moved closer, and I saw the sadness in her eyes. "Arousal is the best scent for covering others."

I swallowed hard. I forgot everything that was happening. I could not help it. This felt like something straight out of one of my dreams.

"Are you okay with this?" she asked, her face now inches away.

I might have said that it was not the ideal circumstances, but all I could feel was desire for her. "Yes," I breathed.

Her lips took my breath away as they pressed into mine. Her hand settled on the back of my neck, holding me close as her lips parted mine, her tongue pushing my mouth open. Her lips were cool and her tongue was powerful and they had me struggling to stay above the rising tide that sent heat throughout my body.

Her lips left mine and her teeth lightly dragged across my jaw, setting fire in my stomach. Her hands travelled lower, stopping at my hips, the tips of her fingers sliding under my t-shirt. "May I?" I could only nod. Her eyes were locked on mine as she slowly pulled my shirt upwards, exposing my body. When it came up over my head, I noticed that her eyes had shifted, surveying my body, blackening as they took in her meal.

With my shirt fully out of her way, she licked her lips, teeth showing slightly, enough to send another wave of excitement through me. "Move back," she directed and I did as told, moving back until I was pressed against her pillows. I watched her crawl towards me, like a mighty lion on the hunt. I wanted to give more of myself to her and I reached behind myself to undo my bra, but a growl rippled through her. "Let me," she commanded and I allowed her. Her lips were on my shoulder and her hands deftly undid my bra clasp, pulling it towards her, before discarding it as well. Her fingers trailed up my stomach and I tried to move my body towards them, wanting her to touch me more.

When she grasped my breasts, my breath hitched and my body pushed upwards. I found that her leg was between mine and as I bucked, I felt my clothed womanhood ride up her thigh. Her mouth dragged downward, and while I longed for it to be much lower, sent shivers of pleasure through me as it took in one of my nipples.

"Please," I breathed. She looked up, her eyes searching mine. Her hands moved to my waistband and my eyes flicked to them as my heart skipped a beat. "Yes, take them off. Please." I wanted her to touch me everywhere. I did not want fabric in the way. She did not waste time, quickly removing my pants. She positioned my legs over her shoulders and her breath tickled my flesh. Her hands rested on my hips and I when she kissed the inside of my thigh, my body automatically bucked, trying to move her towards my center, but her hands held me in place. My sex burned with desire and clenched hard as she teased her way closer.

I reached forward, burying my fingers in her hair, trying desperately to move her head closer. "Fuck," I moaned, feeling her mouth hovering just out of reach. She closed the distance with a quick flick of her tongue, striking my clit. My grip tightened and I sank back into the bed. She pressed forward, her tongue working between my lips, lapping up the fluid that had begun to accumulate. She moved further, pressing into me, her tongue wriggling and sending jolts through my body. I gasped, my vision going white. "Rose," I called, receiving a purr that vibrated through her mouth, sending me over the edge, white flashing through my whole body as spasms rocked through me.

She kept up the movement of her tongue, letting me ride the orgasm to its completion. I would have thanked her, but I could not move as I collapsed into the bed, panting wildly. My hands dropped away from her head, and I smiled dumbly and she pulled away.

When my thoughts and breath returned, all I could say was, "holy shit." She chuckled, moving out from between my legs, moving to lay down next to me. "Should I return the favor?"

"Not today," she said and I looked to her, searching her face. She looked peaceful, despite the darkness that remained in her eyes.


End file.
